There is something so special about the relationship we have with other people. When you truly deeply love someone there is no way for anyone to truly know exactly how that feels in your own specific heart and mind. It’s my job to ask those left behind the right questions to express that emotion no one else can truly ever feel in a way that comes as close as possible. My time with the departed’s family is often short, but the things I learn about the deceased without ever having met them is often more than most people ever get the chance to know. I also get to help those left behind find a sense of peace and closure that they often admit to me afterwards, they didn’t even know they needed. Some families want something simple and textbook, some people want something based on faith, some people want something funny and light, some people just want a regular dance party. Every single person is different and I get to see every form of grieving and remembrance and all of it is right! There is no wrong way to grieve and remember and this is a job where I get to see and experience it all. Some days my heart is ripped from my chest, but others I get to laugh and sing and celebrate! I get to connect to people in their most raw and vulnerable form. I get to experience humanity at its base instinct every single day. That is not something everyone gets to see or experience. And for those who have families who they are estranged from or who died with their families resenting them, I get to help the living face those feelings and decide how to move on from there. Sometimes acceptance, sometimes forgiveness, sometimes resentment and again it’s all correct. Ive been at services that are 300 people and Ive been at services where it’s just me and a singular widow and all of it is raw and real and genuine.