Take Joy

No particular reason for this, except to say that, in other countries, they do things differently:

All around me in the stadium, South Africans were dancing, singing and laughing to honour their departed leader. It was more like a carnival atmosphere, not at all morbid. The ceremony had already gone on for two hours and would last another two. The atmosphere was totally relaxed – I didn’t see anything shocking in my viewfinder, president of the US or not. ...

I heard news reports about people dancing in the rain the day of the memorial service, and even people saying tradition in Africa held that rain on such a day meant the heavens were open to bless the virtue of the dearly departed.  Where we might see rain on a funeral day as one more reason to be gloomy (and I've done funerals in snow; it's not cheering at all), they see it as another reason to give thanks for the life of the one who has died.

Maybe we could learn a thing or two.... *

(Of course the really classy response is to walk out on a funeral orator, and then be sure your staff tells the press later what a noble dignitary and fine representative of your country you were to walk out on the speech of another guest in a foreign country.  Stay classy, Ted Cruz.  And stay out of Texas; we have more respect for memorial services than that.)