Having worked in the funeral services profession for the better half of my life, the one thing you find is that typically people know very little about who we are and what we do. Don’t get me wrong, this can be a good thing, because hopefully it means they haven’t had to experience much loss in their life.

Although like anything, there will come a time in life when you will need to seek out the services of a funeral professional, so I thought I’d give a behind the curtains look at what it means to be a funeral director, at least from my first-hand experience.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I can easily say that funeral directors, especially independent funeral directors, are some of the friendliest, most caring people I’ve ever met on this planet and hopefully below sheds some light on what it takes to be a funeral professional and give you some insights into the sort of people you will be dealing with.

…..next time you talk to an independent funeral director, even if it’s not Southern Cross Funerals Sydney, Wollongong or Central Coast, remember this message. Remember they have your best intentions at heart, but most of all, remember that they are just like you.

• First off, we aren’t who you think we are

Let’s be honest, the costs related to a funeral can be unexpected, however I can assure you many of those costs are not from the funeral director, but related to external and necessary services (e.g. cemetery plot, casket, cremation fees etc). Which is to say, funeral directors, particularly those who are independent, aren’t trying to rip you off, scam you, or neglect the remains of your loved one.
We are normal (whatever that means) people just like you, with families, lives, and yes – even feelings, too. We too have loved and lost.

• What we do requires commitment

You may think a job in this industry is just like another 9-to-5 job, it’s not. In fact, it’s far from it. We make ourselves available to work all hours of the day – whether its 4am or 11pm and anytime in-between. It doesn’t matter if we are out to dinner with friends or at our own family funeral, we will drop everything to help families who just lost a loved one. That’s what we do.
Being a funeral professional is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for people who aren’t willing to put everyone and everything before themselves.

• We care, maybe a little too much

I can’t stress enough how emotionally challenging this line of work can be. Can you imagine what it’s like to deal with grieving families all day, every day. When you share your feelings of grief, we not only recognise them, but we often take them on. When you cry, we want to cry too. When you really miss your loved one and want them back, we want that too.
It can often be difficult to keep our own emotions in check so we can better serve you. So, just so you know, we are there for you, with you and beside you because we are a caring lot who truly want the best for you.

• Your genuine appreciation makes our job completely worth it

Just like teachers, funeral directors efforts are always remembered, but seldom expressed. Our satisfaction comes from knowing that we did the right thing, and in the best possible way. With that being said, something as simple as a “thank you” is what makes our day. It helps us realise we’re doing this for a bigger cause than money. It’s what makes us get out of bed every morning. So if you are attending a funeral that remembered your love on in the way they would of wanted, give your funeral director a big hug and a thank you. Trust me, they’ll appreciate (and hope) for it.

One last thing…

I can’t speak of all funeral directors in Sydney, however unlike any other job in the service industry; I would say being a funeral director is our calling. It’s what defines us. It’s one of those professions that chooses you, rather than you choosing it.

I wrote this article not to promote our services, but to let you know it takes a special person to be a funeral director, so next time you talk to an independent funeral director, even if it’s not Southern Cross Funerals Sydney, Wollongong or Central Coast, remember this message. Remember they have your best intentions at heart, but most of all, remember that they are just like you.