Anne recalls a couple of special moments that highlight the privilege she feels in being a funeral director.
She remembers, a family service held at a Catholic Church. The sun was shining the gardens were beautiful with old gravestones dotted amongst them. The smell of the incense and a fitting tribute to the person who had passed away all unfolded beautifully, despite it being a sad occasion. “I find these aspects of my job are so uplifting, they feed the soul and you see lots of good and positive things all coming together in respect for a life lived.”
Another particularly memorable moment was at a funeral held for a baby who died tragically. As the service was coming to an end, the grandfather of the baby stood and called her name, guttural, sad, moving and powerful. He needed to call her name and release his grief in a setting that allowed him to do so uninhibited. “I felt goose bumps, but joy also that the family felt the freedom to say and do as they needed, to soothe their pain.”
