Funeral directors run funeral homes in Bellingham, WA. They are professional and competent, providing service, comfort, and help to everyone who walks through their doors. But there are things that you may not realize the funeral directors have to do and be.

Being a funeral director is an emotionally and physically draining profession. They are on their feet continuously, and they are on call 24 hours a day. Funeral directors often get very little sleep, because when the call comes in to transport someone who is died, they have to respond. The emotional demands on funeral directors are great. Not only do they pick up the elderly who have died in nursing homes, hospitals, and in hospice care, but they also pick up other people of all ages who have died in accidents, who have died from terminal illnesses, and who have died as the result of violence.

As grim as all of this may seem, being a funeral director isn’t always doom and gloom. Many times, as families are planning the funerals of their loved ones, humorous situations will arise. Sometimes the children of someone who is died will make funny comments about what their loved one with think about the whole situation of planning a funeral. Other times, people who preplanned their funerals may have put in very unique requests. These can often lead to very warm and comforting conversations between the funeral director and the families about the loved one that is died.

Funeral directors have emotional reactions to death just like the rest of us. There are a lot of times when they are dealing with families and planning funerals when things just get really sad. They may not cry or react in a very emotional way while they are with the families, but sometimes they cry behind the scenes for very heart moving situations. With the families, they are professional while the families may be falling apart, and they will hand out tissue boxes when the tears start flowing.

Being very knowledgeable about business and science is required of funeral directors. Taking care of someone who has died requires an extensive knowledge about chemistry, anatomy, and restoration. Taking care of the family requires the ability to connect with them, to understand their needs and wishes, help them arrange the services and then take care of all the details behind the scenes, while offering support and comfort.

Funeral directors don’t have a 9-to-5 job. When people die, just like when they’re born, it’s not just between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM. So being a funeral director means long weekdays and being on call on weekends.

Grief is something that funeral directors have to deal with on a regular basis. While no one can truly understand the grief of anyone else, funeral directors have to have the skills to validate the feelings of people who are grieving. When people are in mourning over the loss of a loved one, they will sometimes say things that may sound alarming. For example, a mother who has lost a young child, a express a desire to die. The funeral director needs to validate the feelings, assure the mother that they are normal, and then refer them to grief support or some other grief resource that the funeral home has.

For additional information about what funeral directors do at funeral homes, our compassionate and experienced team at Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory – Bayview Chapel is here to help. We also serve the areas of Bellingham, Ferndale and Mount Vernon, WA. You can visit our funeral home at 2465 Lakeway Dr., Bellingham, WA 98229 or you can call us today at (360) 733-0510.