There's no good way to say something like this, so I'll just say it.
My grandfather (my father's father) passed away yesterday afternoon, just after we'd set him up in a nursing home in Pittsburgh. I will be leaving town in a few days to go to (and possibly sing for) his funeral.
It's weird, because the moment I got the news yesterday it was about ten minutes before work, so I just went and did my shift anyway, and I went again today like nothing was different. (I know I'll have to miss work later, so I'd feel bad skipping out on shifts while I'm still in town and perfectly able to work.) I feel weird telling people about it, because I've never really had to do it before and I don't want people to feel sorry for me, but at the same time, it feels like a lie to pretend like nothing's on my mind.
I still worry that when I tell someone a relative of mine has died, and then go about my business without seeming too upset about it, it'll seem like I'm heartless, or that I'm just making it up to get out of doing something. (Certain teachers at school would joke about this sometimes, which I always thought was in very bad taste...) But the truth is, my grandfather had been living in pain for a long time before this, and we found out a few days ago that he wasn't going to be the same after his stroke, so really, though it's sad that he's gone and we're all shaken up about it, I know he's in a better place now. And it won't do any good to mope around just for appearance's sake.
Just wanted to let you know what was going on.