Page 17 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART ONE
Inner Strength
Some of you might be wondering what exactly is my job as a funeral director’s assistant. The best way to answer this is to say I do many different things, but I don’t make the actual arrangements for the fu- neral service. I am there to help out during a funeral to make sure things run smoothly. All the arrangements with the clergy, cemetery, family etc are handled by other people. I also assist at the chapel and cemetery with the service.
Perhaps the most unique part of my job is the interaction I have with families when a death has occurred in a home, hospice or hospital. This is something that very few people have an opportunity to witness and that includes most of the funeral directors or managers at my funeral home. So, what I am about to share with you is insider information.
When we get a call that someone has died, we are usually sent in a team of two. We call this a transfer. It is a polite way of saying that we’re picking up a dead person. It is indeed a heavy feeling approaching someone’s door and knocking. They have dreaded this moment. But we approach with a solemn attitude and carefully assess the situation.
We mostly transfer people who are old. They can be in their late 70’s, 80’s or 90’s. Very rarely do we transfer someone who has lived past 100. Thankfully,
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