It’s easy to get lost in the holiday hustle and bustle of Christmas. Between the busy season in the funeral profession, the preparation of holiday festivities with family and friends, and the never-ending to do list that seems to accompany the end of the year, it’s easy to simply wish the holiday season away and count down the hours until we’re back to some peace and quiet.

I’m guilty of this mindset myself… This very holiday message started off as just another task to complete as the Christmas deadline ticked nearer. It wasn’t until I finally sat down and reflected on what I wanted to say to you, our friends and colleagues in the funeral profession, that I got a much-needed reminder of what the Christmas season is all about.

The Everyday Opportunities We’re Lucky To Have

Looking back on the posts we have shared with you over the last year, we’ve had our own moments of loss and life celebration at funeralOne. But with each of these losses, we were also lucky enough to gain amazing life lessons that will stick with us as we help and educate families going through similar experiences. (And hopefully the posts we have shared will allow you to do the same.)

As funeral professionals, we know better than most how lucky we are to be afforded the little moments in life… the chance to travel home and be with family over the holidays, or the opportunity to call up family and friends to share Christmas wishes. But even though we are exposed to the fragility of life each and every day, even we sometimes become numb to how significant these small actions are.

This Christmas, take a second to remind yourself of these small, yet significant luxuries, and remember that not everyone has these same opportunities. Think of the many families who do not have the chance to sit with their parents, siblings, children or grandparents, and remember just how lucky you are… to be alive, to have loving family, friends and colleagues surrounding you, and to work in this profession. Which leads us to our next point…

The Chance To Give Back

The funeral profession is stressful… no doubt about it. And there are many days where we may question why we do what we do. But at the end of the day, we’re also extremely thankful to work in this profession. Why? Because every single day, the work that we do makes a difference in people’s lives. We get to help people in a time when they need it most, and we get to help make a difficult time a little more manageable. We help people celebrate and honor the people they love most, and we give them the tools they need to grieve, heal and move forward. How many people get this lucky in other professions?

We’re also so fortunate to get to work alongside such passionate and enthusiastic funeral professionals. The comments that you write in our blog posts or on our social media pages, and the emails that we get from the funeral professionals that use our products help us stay motivated and excited to continue doing what we do.

This Christmas, we count ourselves very blessed to work in this profession alongside you. And we hope that you take a moment amidst all of the holiday hustle and bustle to reflect back on your year, the everyday opportunities that you are awarded, and the many meaningful things you do to help families every day. After all, that’s what the holiday season is all about… giving to others and being thankful for those that have given to you.

Merry Christmas from all of us at funeralOne, and cheers to a happy and successful 2016!

Rilee Chastain

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