What made you choose this?

Why did I decide to become a funeral Director?

That is a question that I am asked pretty much every time someone hears that that is what I am doing with my life. I have yet to come up with a great short response to that. I mean I say it just seemed right, or i was drawn to it. But what does that mean?

There are three main points in my life that I believe brought me to where I am now.

Care Center in Hurricane

So, going back in time. Are you ready for this? I believe we are back in 1997-2000, which would have made me 14-17 years old, somewhere in there. I was living with my family in Hurricane, Utah. My father was the administrator of the Zion rehab or something like that. The name evades me at this moment. The home that we lived in from 1996 to 1999/2000, which was an old polygamist home, was connected to the care center. Like literally we had a door that separated our living quarters from the care center. Odd? yes!! Part of my life that will never be forgotten where great memories were made? Most Definitely!!!!!!!! So what does this have to do with my current career choice? Well Where our house was situated when the funeral personnel would come to the care center they would park in front of our house. So growing up those years there I would see them go in and then  I would see them leave. I never thought anything of it. Other than the fact that they drove really cool cars and that I wanted to drive one of them someday. I am weird I know. 

Also while living there one of the local funeral home owners would take my dad and his employees and their families to his cabin ontop of Kolob Mountain. We would have a great time. So you know it makes you think, "Ok these guys have a great life; they drive cool cars, they have cabins in the woods, they have lots of money, they can do whatever they want really. I mean people aren't dying every hour of everyday." Well, I didn't really think THAT much about it as a kid. But it definitely left and impression.

The next point in time that I was indirectly directed to the funeral industry was when I was seventeen. One of my grandma's (my father's mother) was very sick. So we went to California so that we could visit her. I am so glad we were able to. She was in the hospital the first couple of days we were there. Then she was placed on hospice care and they brought her to her home so she could pass away in a more comfortable setting. She wasn't conscious her last few days of her life. It was a weird feeling seeing my father saying goodbye to his mother. (as I sit here my emotions are coming up, which is weird for me.) At that time in my life I wasn't a very emotional person. I never cried those days. I remember the night grandma bebe passed away. I was woken up by my grandma Williams and was told that grandma Bebe had passed away and that mom and dad had already gone to her home. I was told to gather my younger siblings and drive to grandma's place. Mind you this was before gps was big and we were in modesto california, I had been to grandma bebe's once earlier that day. But we made it with no problems. I remember sitting in the room and we had a family prayer and then the suits came in and started their thing. My mom told me that I could cry it was ok. I didn't say much but I knew I didn't need to cry. I knew she was in a better place and she was no longer in pain. Her mortal body was holding her back at that point. When the funeral home covered her face with the sheet almost everyone in the room had to look away. I remember thinking it was odd that no of this was bothering me. I was ok with death. I was ok with the knowledge I had of what happens after this life. I knew Grandma would be watching down on us and she loved us very much. (maybe one day I will tell of the day that her death finally did catch up to me and I hurt bad, but that is another story). So my grandma dying brought me to the realization that death was not something that effected me the same way it does others.

The third major indirect directer was when I was serving in Lewiston, Idaho on my LDS mission. There was a gentleman in one of the wards that I was serving in who was a funeral director. We maybe had one conversation about his work, but nothing significant. But meeting him helped me realized that being a Funeral Director was something that anyone really could get into if they had it in them. It isn't something only royalty can be entitled to. I didn't have to be born into the elite family that ruled the funeral industry. Yes, it makes it harder but it is not a requirement. I believe this gentleman's mother stood up in Church one day and said something about it as well. I remember being in shock that she said something nice. She was always the mean lady we tried to avoid.

So there is my "short" summary as to where the direction for my career choice came from. Taking all of this into account I also thought about what I wanted in my life. Being in the funeral industry I am enlightened by a spirit that not many have the privilege to experience regularly. (We all know I need all the spiritual experiences I can get) ;)

Maybe if I remember I will tell of my experience so far in the funeral industry. I have been an intern for almost 3 years now.

Until then, You now know more about the man behind the shadow, Right?