ShellyATX2

I was very surprised when a friend had a gunshot suicide happen in her home and the Cleaner bill was $13,000. After you became a supervisor, did you play any role in the estimates and collections?

That’s what my girlfriend pretty much described. The investigators gathered what they needed, the ME removed the body, and then she was pretty much left with the aftermath and no real guidance. She said a crime victims advocate was pretty helpful, not so much in a practical way but helping her kind of pull herself together where the others just seemed so “work” with little acknowledgement of the trauma of having such a thing happen.

She had to do internet searches from another friends home, while the mess just sat back at her place. She said she wanted the cleaner to get there as soon as possible because she felt like she couldn’t let the whole visual of what happened with the aftermath still there.

I was just so shocked at the price. Another good reason to have home owners and renters insurance.

It’s interesting how seemingly small yet interesting parts of our youth can have a major effect on our lives as adults. Although growing up with a funeral home friend didn’t push your dad into law, I have no doubt it benefited him in being more comfortable with death and being around people effected by the death.

For me it was my grandfather who was a minister back when ministers play a much larger role in tending one on one to the chronically ill and the dying. I was too much ch if a handful for my grandmother so my grandfather dragged me all over with him. The sick, the old, the dying. When I was older I loved being around old people...I would happily listen to the same old men tell the same old war stories and learn 101 ways to make tuna fish from old ladies.

All of that set me up for a Masters in Gerontology and becoming a funeral director. Yes, it does require a very high level of empathy. My favorite part is the amazing family and individual stories. It sounds so cliche, but it really is an honor. I am trusted with the very final personal care an individual receives, and that person is so precious to so many. It’s like being interested with a priceless family heirloom and you have to protect it, and polish it and ultimately answer for your level of care and commitment through the services that start the healing process. WOW. And if that’s not enough, I get to enjoy the most beautiful stories, incredible love stories, incredible journeys to success, and equally amazing beautiful stories of regular every day people who were great mothers, fathers, siblings, children. I am so thankful the my grandfather. I get to be one of the few that spend their lives doing work they were meant to do and love.

We got way off topic, but it was great chatting with you.

Sorry about your father. I hope my own children still talk fondly of their memories with me 10 years after my death. And interestingly enough, they’ll have similar memories to yours. I’m a funeral director and my children have all worked with me in various areas as well as having numerous conversations on subjects the majority of their peers certainly didn’t have :)

I would imagine that with hoarding there’d be lots of times when the people hiring you would be so aggravated having to get the place clean probably after years and years of dealing with a hoarder...those clients are probably like “keep whatever you want”

I think in this thread, I am officially the queen of run on sentences. My most excellent teachers would be so disappointed. 😂😂😂