The guy behind me plowing a path through the snow to a gravesite is Ed. Last Friday, I showed up at a somewhat secluded cemetery to inter cremated remains with the deceased’s family. — When I drove in (an hour before the family arrived), Ed was plowing the cemetery drive. I rolled down my car’s window, […]
Up until recently, I haven’t been open to speaking engagements, mainly because getting off work is a job all in itself. And I don’t like to fly … so there’s that. But, with the addition of new staff at the funeral home, I’m a little more flexible. Anyways, here are some things on my calendar. […]
Do you talk to your dead? — Soon after my maternal grandfather died in 2006, I was sitting with my grandmother — his widow— and she told me something that I thought was weird, maybe even a little dangerous. She told me that she constantly talks to Pop-pop. Everyday, even every hour. — At […]
When I work with younger people, I’ll usually give them my cell number so they can text me whenever they want. Texting is just so much less stressful and easier for those of us who grew up with cell phones, and it seems to be a comfort for the families when they know they can […]
A few years ago, Pop Pop stepped away from making funeral arrangements for a few reasons, namely that at 87 he’s outlived and buried most of his contemporaries, an accomplishment that would make some feel lonely, but for him it feels like completion. He was here for his friends and family when they needed him, […]