I loved that someone asked a science question when I asked what information folks wanted me to share. The reason? That is why I chose this profession – the science. It turns out that is not what has kept me here, but it is still woven into what I love about this work.

Good morning and thank you for being here - from the bottom of my heart. I know that you have an endless source of education and entertainment options and, if you are here, you have made a choice to spend time with me. I hope it is a choice that makes your life better, so if there is something I can do in that regard, please let me know.

What if the situation was not about listening to your surroundings, rather you were being asked to listen to someone speaking to you? Would it be easier or more difficult to a) stay quiet and b) hold your attention?

I was introduced to this poem this week and it surprised me with it’s potency. I even took the time to learn it in Spanish, as I felt like it preferred to be spoken in its native language.

On a recent drive from grandma and grandpa’s house, I thought it would be fun to interview my 12 year old on what he thinks of all this gestures to my mortician job and the fragility of life that surrounds us always.

I have learned some wonderful things during my time in funeral service and have seen some transformative, healing moments. I have also had the opportunity to watch people unravel - times of high stress can open the door to the worst versions of ourselves. Sometimes we aren’t sure who we are going to meet until the day of a death occurs - but by then it may be too late to create or enforce boundaries.

Do young women still read Sylvia Plath? I know many of us of a certain age sure did and The Bell Jar is one of those books that meant something. In our teenage melancholy, we saw ourselves reflected in her life and situation - awkward, bumbling, intelligent and on a mission.

This weekend I spent quality time catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen for a while. Over tea, she tells me that she had the opportunity to dabble in death doula-ing, as her neighbor had passed away just recently. Naturally, I wanted to know more..

I am a Virgo, which means I like order and things being *just so*. When things are put in their place and surfaces are shiny, I feel on top of the world! If only I could keep it that way. I am also a busy person..

When I met my husband, Sam, Abby was the female in his life. A lump of a Rottweiler who loved to sneak up on the couch when no one was looking. I did not have much experience with the breed myself, but my husband was a Rottweiler guy…

Grief comes up in conversation more than you realize, but the more you hang out with me, the more you will start to notice your friends sharing their experience and hoping someone hears them. You will start to pick up on what people are saying..

I have always loved Joan Didion’s book The Year of Magical Thinking. Here she recounts the year after her husband John’s death, a year fraught with adversity, sickness and overwhelm. This book is a gift..

When the powers that be informed me my manager was being reassigned to a new team, I was devastated. I sent an email asking them to reconsider, knowing that it would be useless but wanting to be heard. I cried for days. Like…sobbed.

One of the mistakes we make when we think about grief is to assume that it will end. We experience a loss, it is devastating and then a little less so, and then we move through our day with…

Kind communication is key. In times of amplified emotion, specifically during acute grief, words can be like landmines and a less-is-more approach can beneficial. This is when it is good to…

When the topic of grief comes up, the Kubler-Ross Model is often referenced. For those who don’t know, these are the Five Stages of Grief as defined…

Being a mortician isn’t even weird anymore… I know this because we are all over TikTok (here's is a well-respected example) and there are a ton more, each with their own dance skills and, dare I say, sense of decorum.

You know the type, the friend who always knows what to say, or who says nothing at all but is there with the most sincere and satisfying hugs. The person that quietly brings food and leaves it on your doorstep or who listens with empathy..

I believe that I am meant to share information that will help people live better. If you are here and feeling raw, I hope that my writing serves you in some way. I also recognize that…

And there it is, Molika et al., “lost souls a consistent sense of direction”. One could argue that’s an accurate description of what we are doing here- navigating the field..