In my own search for new and better ways to invite death into our lives and especially in conversations, I came across the death-inspired card game called Morbid Curiosity. James and Kimberley, a couple with a background in theater and grief counseling, started creating the game before Death Positivity was trendy and cool. Their approach […]
Did you know that community outreach could be the most important component of your funeral home’s marketing plan? It’s true. According to the 2018 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey, when planning a funeral, only 8.3% of consumers call more than one funeral home! Further, 23.2% called one funeral home and […]
Death changes everything. It takes the familiar and shakes it up. It takes our everyday and makes it messy. And this is how I’ve chosen to live my life as a funeral director: in symmetry with those who have to walk with death and grief. It’s a path that I’ve grown familiar with over the […]
My high school speech teacher, a favorite to many, known as “BC”, was dying. I met with BC and her brother to discuss possibilities for her service, listening as they recalled all the plays and student activities she had directed, and her many interests. I let my imagination run with ideas to celebrate her life. […]
Have you ever told someone what line of work you are in and received a response something like this “wow, it truly takes a special person to do that”? I think that we can all agree that this has happened at least once or twice in our careers. Have you ever walked away from this […]
“Do people still write thank-notes?” This question is often asked to funeral directors when helping families prepare for a funeral. The short answer? Yes. The thank-you note writing tradition is strong in my family. But other families may have questions about writing thank-you notes following a funeral service, such as why write them in […]
Remember those little Magicubes you’d snap onto your Kodak Instamatic? Quaint, right? Except for a few purists, we don’t even use cameras anymore. Likewise, obituaries have migrated from print to the web. But it would be a mistake to think of online obituaries as the electronic equivalent of newspaper obits. Technology has transformed length, content, […]
“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin Well, Ben, I am uncertain about that these days! While death and taxes are here to stay, how we deal with those two certainties certainly has changed. No longer does it seem strange or uncomfortable to ditch the […]
It’s gotten to the point where explaining that the funeral industry is changing has become unnecessary… Just look at everything that’s going on; the advent of social media, the rising popularity of cremation, green burials, and so on. Another thing we’re seeing shift? The way that families respond to death. According to Don Morris, M.Ed, […]
Recently I’ve read several articles, seen countless videos and overheard numerous conversations questioning the value of the services provided by the funeral industry and the integrity of its professionals. Due to the emotional and taboo nature of our business, little is known about what it is that we actually do, why we do it, and […]
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