My “What have I done” moment…
When I met Morty aka Greg, I was in the ‘healing stages’ of the loss of my son to cancer and a nasty divorce. Never did I imagine or dream about - getting married to a Mortician. Life as a Mortician’s Wife has its challenges; at parties, some people wanna talk to you, and some don’t. Most perceive the Funeral Industry as we see it on Reality Shows and Movies. Instead of Six Feet Under, it’s sort of a combination of – ‘Bewitched (nosy neighbor stuff), The Munsters (how people see us).
My new chapter two…
Growing up in Miami as a party planner was exciting. Moving to Buffalo, NY – crazy! But, I met the ‘Love of my Life at a local Tavern, across the street from a Funeral Home. Yes, he was the town’s Mortician and I was his Bartender. A few years later and too many cold summers – we moved to California, where I buried the Shaker and started a Funeral Catering Business. After every Memorial theme imaginable, we moved to Washington DC and took on a new adventure…a 2nd ‘Marriage.
The now…
During our early years…I eavesdropped on lots of uncomfortable conversations and walked-in on too many unforgettable observations. Believe it or not, this inspired my daily journal writings. Aside from the “Ordinary,” the Funeral Industry is a special profession in God’s world. These incredible people are our “Silent Angels,” who show up at our most vulnerable moment in life and help make sense of it all. After my husband’s parents passed away we decided to move to Florida and be closer to my parents. Morty continues to serve families in need of funeral planning and grief support. As for me, I’ve been called to share my experiences with others. To help women with hidden grief and coach them in writing their way to heal.
“That’s why it’s sooo important to listen. You have two ears and one mouth, use them in proportion. Get them talking, so they know they can live on.”
— Funeral Director, Greg Houston. aka “Morty”.
WHY I DO WHAT I DO…
“A Grief is an active process of your soul trying to wear out it’s pain, outlive it, persist through it to a place of relief and a different way you perceive life…It’s the expression of a sorrow and a path to a life beyond that sorrow.”
— Lynne Houston
Writing your story down can begin the healing process.
Being in charge of your own stories allows you to - well, revise them. Revise them to reflect achievements and positive outcomes. Journaling and Writing & Grief guided me to prioritize my life, writing down my feelings of past experiences, the now and the new - it was like “YES, I can do this!! My life is important, I want to live it!”
This
approach is ‘different.’ But you’ll get a REAL experience of finding you and begin to live the life you’ve dreamed about. And become the person you truly want to be, wherever you are right now, grab a pen…
How I found a new purpose for my new life. And how I want to assist you, with finding yours…
THE WHY…
There’s my Morty (Greg). The handsome Scotsman in the Green Jacket. My inspiration, creative thinker, jokester, heart doctor, grief counselor and AKA Funeral Director. He is one of the Top Restorative artists in his profession. And recognized from Mortuary Colleges around the United States. His knowledge of Military Funerals is one he truly takes pride in.
Meet our CEO, Louie. He’s a very special boy who came from a terrible hoarding and breeding situation and, the sole survivor of his 23 family members. Louie had twenty-four hours to be adopted. Now fully recovered, he wants to pay it forward. January 2020, Louie became a Certified Therapy Cat for Nursing Homes. Yes, Siberian’s are very cool cats and so is our Louie.
Lily is our Admin. She’s in charge of hanging out on my desk, entering various “cat stuff” in the computer, filing miscellaneous paper on the floor and, professional pen pusher. At four weeks old someone stuffed her in a box and left her outside. We had to name her, so one night while watching an old series of The Munsters, we noticed she resembled Lily Munster.
Meet Gracie. On a cold February morning, I hopped in my car and spotted this little gal in the middle of Interstate 40. Barely alive, hobbling alongside the railing. This Cat Girl…never had a Dog, I mean EVER! With the help of some wonderful people and incredible Doctors, she survived. January of 2020, Gracie became a Certified “Grief Therapy Dog.” instagram: fromgrief2gracie.
Send me a private message to share your story and your thoughts. We’ll work something out…