It was an exhausting day, to put it very, very mildly. The service in the church was relatively short; my brother and I were two of the pallbearers. But my grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force and served in the military for 37 years, and had earned the right to be buried in Arlington National Ceremony. When we arrived, there were troops there in full uniform; some holding flags, some with rifles, some to carry the casket, and some with instruments to play the music. They took the casket to the gravesite via a horse-drawn platform and everything, and at the end of the military service, they fired the rifles to honor him. I think that was the hardest thing to bear, for me; it felt like that was when the real weight of it all suddenly got to me. The entire service was really amazing, especially since I had no idea what to expect.
After the funeral, family and friends of my grandparents all gathered at Grandma's house for the reception, and I spent several hours being sociable. That was where most of the exhaustion came from. When we got home I made a bee-line for my bed and took a nap. The rest of the day was spent drawing and staying to myself for the most part. There are so many people in this house and I'm going nuts for some personal space and time to myself. I'm looking forward to getting home tomorrow.