In all honesty I’m not entirely sure what you can expect. Obviously, it will be around the 16 years of my life working in funerals, as a small business owner, and as a family man. I did many other things and had many other adventures before finding my true calling — these may come up in future blogs, but I am not sure yet.
I would like to think I will cover plenty of thought-provoking topics to do with funerals — loss, saying goodbye, the pressures and rewards of running a business, and many other topics that I have noticed come from bereavement. The content will be factual, but also full of shared experiences and real truths about life and death. I hope that as I take a journey through thoughts and opinions, I can take you with me and help you process living well.
Why Write at All?
When thinking about the “why”, I have lots to say in my head — but when it comes to putting it all down, everything seems to come at once. So, from a personal point of view, I hope writing will help me process my daily life. Dealing with bereavement every day is hard, especially as a small business owner who needs to be contactable 24/7. Over the years I have found ways to switch off, but if the phone rings I always have to be able to switch straight back on. I have dealt with many incredibly tragic situations that play out in all sorts of ways in my thoughts, so doing this may enable me to share some of those — to see if I am normal, or just a little unusual.
Another reason is from a professional standpoint. I want to be fair in my costs to families and give each individual as much time as they need. But I still need to make a living and balance my time between work and home. I think I am a regular person — the stresses and worries I feel, I am sure many others feel too. But when I am struggling, I often feel as if I am on my own and no one else feels this way. Surely that isn’t true. So hopefully this will remind you that you are not alone.
A Simple Hope
Finally, I want you to know that while you can dedicate yourself to something with everything you have, it is still possible — and important — to find balance in life between your dedication to work, to others, and to yourself.
As these blogs will be centred around my funeral work, I simply hope they help others who feel lost. When the feeling of bereavement is at its strongest, we feel like we are the only ones going through it. No other emotion is quite the same. I have even said to people before: “just keep breathing” — that is your first step. Life really can be turned completely upside down, and simply concentrating on breathing is sometimes the only thing to do in that particular moment.
So, I want you to know: you are not alone, and others do go through this. Come on this journey with me. It won’t take too much of your time, I promise. It may even help you live a better life.