It might strike some people as odd that someone would choose to be a funeral director. It’s not your standard career path, where you sit your exams at high school and head off to become a mortician, or a funeral celebrant. It’s not an industry that naturally sits well with people — so why be a funeral director? What could possibly have led me down the path of spending so much time amongst the deceased?
At some point in everyone’s lives, they will need the services of a funeral director. It’s as certain as taxes. It’s the unavoidable, and yet still such a taboo conversation topic. And that is exactly why it is so important to have professional support on the other end of the line when you call for help.
There are endless reasons that I love my job, though here are a few that are always front of mind:
1. It Gets Into Your Blood.
It’s contagious helping people in their time of need. It gets into your soul and becomes part of your DNA and you can’t stop doing it. It makes your heart full and your purpose feel tangible. I left the industry once, and had to come back to start my own business. I needed to be able to do it the way I wanted to, and assist families with personalising their services.
2. Counselling People Through The Hard Decisions.
No one likes to have a casual conversation about death which means people are grossly under educated when it comes to making decisions for their loved ones. Unfortunately, there is also time pressure to make certain decisions which is unavoidable. Most people need help and guidance in plain language to ensure they make the best decision they can in the time frame required.
3. Going Against The Standard
Stiff and ‘regimented’ funeral services are so commonly offered in Australia. I have seen what the industry offers and wanted to make funerals more personal to the families. Funerals are about the living, not the deceased and in most cases, families wanted to celebrate a life together, not mourn. Mourning is a private thing for most of our clients, and the funeral service was about remembering and memorialising a great person’s life in an environment of celebration. Helping people at a difficult time knowing you can make a difference to their farewell is
4. Giving Human And Real Help To People
In my experience, I have found the people who are organising the funeral want support - but not the kind that involves tears and cuddles (though we are always willing for those). We often receive feedback from families applauding our honest and human approach to them in their time of grief. They appreciate feeling normal in conversation for a passing moment.
5. Getting Out Of Bed Everyday
To know that when I answer the phone I can make a genuine difference. The person on the other end is looking for support, guidance and is in immediate need of my help. There is no bigger motivation than to be able to give someone that hug that will relieve them just a little, and that is reason enough to get out of bed at any time.
This is not a job that anyone can do. This passion I have for crafting personalised services for local families to celebrate their loved one isn’t a choice, it’s my everyday, and I am honoured to live the life I do. If you would like to know more about the kind of services we offer and how myself and the team of Lady Funeral Directors at Lady Anne can help your family, please get in contact.
