29/08/2025
🕊 Letter from an undertaker 🕊
They ask us, "How do you do it?" They think we're cold, that we must be numbed by pills or alcohol. They don't get it. You don’t need any of that when this work is your passion. We don't just see the sorrow; we feel it all—the pain, the anger, the regret.
We sit with families fighting over money, their loved one's body just feet away. We walk into their most sacred spaces, their homes, as strangers. We are trusted to take their person, to keep them safe. We get yelled at, begged to get out, asked, "Why?" We stand there, offering hugs to strangers and wiping the tears from children’s faces.
On our table, all judgment is gone, leaving only silence and a flood of questions. What happened? Why were you so young? Why did you take your own life? Why were you murdered? People think we feel nothing, but we feel it all. We feel their pain and sometimes even more. We wash and prepare a loved one, seeing a child’s dirty feet from playing yesterday and now… nothing. We see the forgotten old and the young who never had a chance.
This job is a quiet tragedy, but it is also our purpose. We try to give families a final, beautiful memory. We walk with them through their darkest days and become their anchor. We remember every single one of them. While you are home with your family, we are answering a call. We sacrifice our holidays, our weekends, and our own time to help others.
We just ask you to see us. That’s all.
With love,
Your resident undertaker
