Funeral Director Facts

There are a lot of myths and really, really bad information out there about death, dying, funerals, and funeral directors/morticians. The reality is, people who work in funeral service are some of the most caring  people you will ever meet.

Just the other day someone said to me, ” I guess you have to be pretty cold-hearted to do what you do.”

Um, excuse me? You have to be cold-hearted to provide a sensitive listening ear, and shoulder to cry on to people who are mourning? You have to be cold-hearted to care for the deceased prior to their final disposition? Nope. You have to be pretty darn kind and giving actually.

The reality is that most funeral directors/morticians feel called to their work. If you don’t love what you do, you simply can’t handle the stress and trauma that are an every-day part of the job.

We all have a really great sense of humour. Yes, it’s true. If you come in wearing undies like the ones I have that say, “Party Like a Rock Star”, we will likely smile. Maybe even chuckle. We know the value of a smile and a laugh, and that life is too short and too precious to take ourselves too seriously.

We cry. We cry alone, and we cry with the families whom we serve. We are human.

We are perfectionists. A wrinkled suit jacket or a forgotten flower is devastating to us. We strive to serve, and with this desire to serve, we put incredible pressure on ourselves to make sure we don’t let you down. Ever.

We’ve heard all of the jokes.

We have families too. Crazy ones. Kind ones. You name it, we got’em. Don’t assume we won’t understand your particular brand of crazy. We get it. We see it all.

Let me get back to that being human part. We are human. Perhaps even more human because of our daily exposure to our own mortality. We hug our kids a little tighter and appreciate the bittersweetness of aging. Because of this, we take very little crap, and tend to get to the heart of things quickly. Life, after all is limited.

The next time you’re at an event or a party and you meet a funeral director, instead of asking about their job, ask them about who they are or what they do for fun. Trust me, the somber person you assume to be lurking behind the black suit is way more interesting and fun than you think they are.

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