Yesterday I watched the memorial service for Michael Jackson. I actually watched it later in the evening, because my emotions weren't ready to handle it while it was live. Still, while it was live, I was "watching" it on Twitter, seeing comments from people I follow, sometimes retweeting them (that means I saw something I wanted to share, and did so), sometimes just writing that person back to show my appreciation for what I was watching.

There were a lot of high points from the memorial service, but two things really stood out in my mind. The first was Jermaine, one of Michael's older brothers, singing his brother's favorite song, Smile, written by Charlie Chaplin. The second was Michael's daughter Paris having the final say on the day, which tore at heart strings all over the world.

What happened with both of these is that, even with the grief that they were going through, they felt a sense that something had to be said and done, that it was their duty to go above and beyond because, as emotional as it was, it was the right thing to do. Both showed amazing strength, from a 54 year old to an 11 year old; just the stuff of greatness.

I remember when my dad passed away. On the day of his funeral, I was a mess; as many kids would be. I didn't want to have to go through any of it, and it was hard to control my emotions. At the cemetery, though, the military personnel were there, as my dad was a veteran of two wars and had earned the full military procession. Just before they began, I thought to myself that this was a moment not to grieve, but to be proud. I was a military kid, after all, and I knew something about military protocol and honor. So, for the 25 minutes or so that they were there doing what they had to do, in their way, with the 21 gun salute, I didn't cry. I didn't come close to it. I was proud of what my dad had done for his family and country at that moment. He was buried in his uniform, with all of his medals; that was an honor that he had earned, and it was going to be about him.

Sometimes, in moments of intense stress and emotion, it can feel daunting to have to come to a realization that one had to realize it's not always about them. The Jackson family didn't have to put on this memorial service, but they knew it wasn't only about them. It was for all Michael Jackson's fans around the world. We just couldn't have proceeded to live our lives if the family hadn't done this. I certainly couldn't, and I know I wasn't alone. People flew into Los Angeles from all around the world, just to be there, whether they could get inside or not. I forget how many countries were watching, but this shows the intense interest. Even two weeks later, Michael Jackson albums are holding the top 10 spots on Billboard's Album charts (for some reason, I'm glad they still call it the "album" charts).

Sometimes, one just has to try to pull themselves together to get things done. It doesn't mean you can't grieve when it's time to grieve, or in other situations get upset, but sometimes, when it's critical enough, or there's a deadline, you just have to put the emotional part out of your head, get it done, then deal with the emotions later.

Every once in awhile, the military way does turn out to be the best way.