[bitterchickey]

The odd thing is, I hadn't even thought about the kids even being there. I mean, we've never seen them really much, and when I realized they were there, I had like a "ding" moment in my head. Hello, it's their dad's memorial--bringing it to the basest reality. I don't think the daughter's speech was at all planned. Marlon even said when he was done, "I think Janet wants to say something", then Paris took the mike. I feel if it indeed was her choice, good for her, this was her father, whom she loved dearly obviously, and though she is young, she got to give her own tribute to him, which imho was the most meaningful of the whole day. I'm glad that the kids got to see what their dad meant to the world, as most of their lives, they probably wondered what the heck he was so famous for.
And personally, I was pleasantly surprised at how subdued it all was---I really was expecting a flashy, circusy, blowout that had no feel of a memorial at all.