After successfully extracting a brilliant colleague from the cemetery staff to fill my open desk space, I had cause to reflect on how her skills adequately transfer to the work we now do in home health and hospice management. A step back in the food chain, if you will. But I digress.
Because knowing the importance of documentation maintenance from decades in the past to know who has paid for what plot, is buried where, how deep, in what kind of container and the marital status of all previously deceased inhabitants.
Dealing with an irate family member who believes that with a staff of 12, each and every one of 40,000 grave sites should be meticulously manicured on a daily basis. This requires a level of compassion, diplomacy and unflappability that will make dealing with the effects of dementia a walk in the park.
Dead people don't complain. But their live relatives will find any reason to be dissatisfied. The fact that a plane flew over during the service and they couldn't hear the readings. The fact that there is dirt and grass and they had to walk in heels over uneven ground to reach the graveside service. The fact that names or dates are wrong on markers when the proofs must be signed and checked for accuracy before production commences. The fact that dad's second wife is buried next to their mother while dad is still living - despite the fact that he owns the plots.
No matter when someone dies, no one is ready to deal with the logistics. There are unresolved conflicts,
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