‘Sometimes you just gotta parkour through the pain’: Kid turns graveyard into a playground when he parkours through funeral service

Funerals are devastating, uncomfortable, and challenging to get through. They’re brutal reminders that life is short and you never know when you’re going to lose someone important to you. And sometimes, huge surprises take place when people are grieving.

That being said, TikTok user @jenniffeerz shared a video of her dad’s funeral when her nephew was off in the distance. What was he doing? Parkouring! As Jenni wrote in the caption, “kids don’t be giving a f*ck.”

Many shared their own wild stories about the things that happen at funerals in the comments section. One user wrote, “my nephew for my grandmas funeral he was like ‘is she going to be a skeleton’ to my dad (that’s his mom).” A few people explained that they played soccer after a funeral service. Another said their niece yelled “Viva Mexico” as their grandma’s casket was lowered into the ground. One user loved this story about Jenni’s nephew and wrote, “Sometimes you Just gotta parkour through the pain.” Jenni responded, “I love these types of comments.”

Although some might say it’s inappropriate to joke around at a funeral, I’m all for it as long as no one is being disrespectful. It’s natural to feel different emotions at the same time. It’s okay to laugh through the tears. And sometimes you’re so overcome with grief that you can’t even help it. When my grandpa passed away when I was 15, I accidentally got into a fit of giggles during a gathering at my grandma’s house. My mom and I went to the basement until I calmed down. Sure, it was embarrassing and awkward, but these things happen! I was close with my wonderful grandpa and he always supported my love of writing, and I didn’t mean anything negative by it. I was just feeling anxious and out of sorts.

There are many reasons why children might find it hard to remain serious at a funeral, from not fully understanding what’s going on to the fact that it’s tough for them to sit still for a long time. There’s also no denying that a funeral can be a scary event for a kid, especially if it’s their first one. As it turns out, whether little ones should attend a funeral is actually a big debate. A great tip in a Yahoo! Life article is to make sure there is a safe spot the kid can go if they are overwhelmed. Maybe more kids are parkouring in a cemetery and no one talks about it. There’s nothing wrong with a kid needing to take a minute away from the heaviness and find even a moment of happiness. After all, adults need that, too.

According to the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, around 6 million U.S. kids are going to lose a sibling or parent up until their 18th birthday. This is awful to imagine and no one wants to talk to their children about death. But since it’s part of life, kids can’t be completely shielded from it. The best thing parents can do is talk to their little ones. And while no one wants to spend too much time thinking about loss, let’s all celebrate those who parkour at a funeral because they lighten the mood, even just for a moment. If a memorial service is also meant to be a celebration of life, why not add a bit of joy and laughter when honoring them?