Work work work lol … I am at work… the funeral home… my daughter is with me…
I don’t really have to do anything but sit here… brought her with me, we got dinner out before getting here – went to Arby’s … (that was the very first job I ever worked as a teenager) …
The funeral home rents out their hall to different functions… we just have to be here because I am employee of funeral home… we have sensitive files so I have to “guard” those – I am an expert at guarding lol ✌️
My daughter came with me to see where I work every weekend … and just to hang out with me… I am glad I have her here… she is doing homework at this moment, so I am here posting lol ✌️
Luckily I do not have to have much interaction with this group using our hall.
I always try to be accepting and understanding and give even the harshest people compassion …
But I have a hard time with this one… is Recovering alcoholic group… so I am hardened on that one. I don’t find it easy to be here… luckily we are in the office all tucked away from them… is just hard to me – a lot of hard feelings.
But whatever … we just have to sit here and they paying me to do nothing so whatever. We just be here in the office.
There is a casket in the back lol… we walked in and my daughter immediately sees it lol … I’m like it’s fine, come this way lol …
No one is actually in that casket, is a rental casket. We have those incase someone who is cremated, is having a funeral service and wants a casket… like for veterans or whatever – that sorta thing.
I haven’t showed her around yet because that thing is going on… they be here until 8pm… is only 6:45 currently. They take a break at 7pm.
After they leave we have to take down the tables, and close down the funeral home.
I will show her around after they leave.
We probably be done about 8:30, and get home about 9:30.
Whew this is an exhausting week!! Work work work lol
Learning Life 
Do you ever get spooked in the funeral home
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Lol… well not too much… mostly can feel the heaviness but not really spooked
Sometimes on the weekends when I am by myself … if there is a body in the freezer or we have a casket there – it makes me feel little heavy? But not creeped out – hopefully they don’t turn into zombies lol – then yes I would freak out lol … I try to stay out of the back area – I get a weird feeling in the back… where the freezer is or where we sometimes have caskets … there is also a prep room they used to use (not in use anymore – is done off site usually) but sometimes if we have a Jewish family… they will use that (Jewish funerals have certain rituals and things they do – everything has to be kept kosher and done quickly)
We have a service room where we do services … that room feels ??? I dunno … kinda makes my hair stand up? You can kinda feel sadness in that room? I dunno? Is dark, and fancy looking – we have tissue boxes everywhere … and it has a smell… not gross or anything – but I am sensitive to smells … I know what a death smells like… it’s not pungent like that… but there is a slight smell of death and vanilla (from the candles)
I do not really believe in ghosts, but kinda do believe in spirits ?? Or souls?
I have very funny coworkers though… and I kinda like the peace cause I am tucked away from people usually – and when I do have to help people… it’s on more of an emotional level…
There are noises that I have no idea what they are – but that doesn’t bother me… the funeral home is ALWAYS kept locked and secured… even when we are there … I have gotten used to the noises … just bumps or thuds …
I do not feel any bad vibes… just heavy or sad around the loss of life … but then also I have a strong connection in that area anyway.
It feels very peaceful generally. So to answer the question – I guess I would say, no not spooked – is how life/death is.
I thought seeing a dead body for the first time might be weird or unnerving? But was not too bad…
When a dead body comes in a casket … we have to open the casket before the people who deliver can leave… we have to verify the information on the toe tags against the paperwork on the person… make sure is the correct person they are dropping off…
They look asleep and maybe a little like a wax figure in a museum or something…
And for me – is like seeing from the other side – when I lost all my people… it has been very devastating … now I work on the other side… where I can feel those emotions and relate to the people who lost someone they loved … but because I did not know them, I am not left devastated and I can focus on the family and helping them with their grief?
If that makes any sense?
I told my kids at school about something at funeral home and I forgot some didn’t know… and when they learned that today one says “well that job does not fit you” (cause I’m always smiling and bubbly – I am funny)
It does fit, they just don’t know my whole story. I don’t share my own back story with the kids ✌️
I feel like I fit really well there at moment. 😊
I do get that question a lot when people learn I do this lol
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It does make sense. I get the feel that your attitude is perfect for those people who are grieving. The ones I’ve been to have been so clean, so quiet, and often a little too sombre.
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I I do have a good attitude with this… I was a little worried at first because I do smile a lot … just always am like that … a simple smile or kind face/word goes a long way… but I was worried my smile might be too much… so far it hasn’t been
I am aware when is appropriate and what is appropriate… I can very easily read people’s emotions. So just kinda follow with what they are needing at that time.
Sometimes depending on the case – the loved one is in peace, like with my father… he had cancer since he was 39… finally won that battle at about 59… but the radiation and chemo took a toll on his body… he had many medical issues with scar tissue, blockages due to scar tissue (from surgeries) and then at age 64 he had a heart stint put in… he died at age 67… so while the loss was devastating and unexpected (to us) … he was finally in peace – no more doctors no more not feeling good… he would have peace now …
In those cases – there is a sense of relief for the one lost? Also sadness, but peace is kinda a big thing when someone has gone through so much. You never want someone you love to suffer.
Every case is different though so you just really have to be able to feel what that family is going through
We just had a baby about 2 weeks ago… actually was 21 weeks gestation … I learned a few things with that one …
I was not aware that a baby past 20 weeks becomes a person and must be cremated or buried. They had to deliver and name the baby and everything.
The mother was a 15 year old… but still those emotions at that age had to be intense. That whole situation was very sad. That is something that 15 year old will never get over. She will always remember everything about that moment in time… it will leave a scar for her … so in that kind of death you never want to see and want to help with the grief and trauma with all that… that one was very somber!!
The baby was cremated – however there was a hold on the paperwork… the father signed the birth certificate correctly … but when he signed the death certificate he misspelled his name … so that halted us doing anything until that was corrected – he and his family were not cooperative
The young girl asked to see her baby one more time before cremation … we had to severely advise her against that – because the body had started decomposing
It was a really hard situation – very heartbreaking.
So just depends on both the manner or reason of death and how the family sees it is handling it.
Every family/person is different so you just have to have a sense of those emotions… I do really good with that aspect.
I also don’t mind putting my own self out there for anyone who needs emotional support… I have a gift of making people feel at ease and comforted – so I knew I could be good at this job
Is what landed me the job in the first place … I wrote a letter to the funeral home – saying I needed a job, here is what I can offer and why, and this is why they need to at least meet me… in seconds after sending that email they contacted me and here I am lol
It can be sad – but so far is also helping me through things and I really love helping others ❤️✌️
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