We hope that the Thanksgiving holiday will allow you are your family time to be together for a bit of rest and time to focus on what keeps us going.
Undertaking in a post-pandemic America leaves many of us exhausted in our service to others. Personally, I found and sought joy in my work as a funeral director, consultant, and podcaster, however, this opened me up to miss the little things that mattered, pitching in at home, time with the children, or simply relaxing with a book.
Self-care is a concept that most of us in funeral service don’t fully express in our daily lives. It’s easy to take on more than we can handle. When this happens, our lives become out of balance and when we, pardon the pun, bury ourselves in our work, we neglect ourselves and in turn, those we love.
We know that funeral service can be an isolating career choice that leaves our loved ones wanting and waiting for our presence. We can often leave our loved ones behind as we strive to offer: “every option – to every family, every time.” We can get wrapped up in our spirit of giving and completely forget how to care for our family and even ourselves.
Each of us face loss and frustration in our personal lives as we continue to undertake our community’s death-care needs. In this season of Thanksgiving, allow yourself the opportunity to reflect on what matters most in your life.
We understand because we’ve been there, done that. When business gets in the way of life, sometimes asking for help seems defeatist, and goes against that mantra, “you knew what you signed-up for.”
This idea can lead us down a rabbit hole of isolation, depression, and exhaustion. As funeral professionals we have many outlets to call on for help including NFDA, state associations, and even the team at Raven Plume. We want you to know that asking for help, no matter how little, is how we continue to undertake. Sometimes all we need is a little “funeral re-directing.”
For all of us, let’s carry this spirit of Thanksgiving into the rest of this year and throughout the coming years.
