Why I’m Writing This Blog

I’ve spent most of my life listening.

Listening to families in moments they never expected to face. Listening to stories told through tears, laughter, long pauses, and sometimes complete silence. Listening to people trying to make sense of lives well lived—and lives that ended too soon.

After nearly five decades in funeral service, I’ve learned something simple but powerful:
stories matter.

They help us grieve.
They help us remember.
They help us laugh when laughter feels out of place—but somehow necessary.

This blog isn’t meant to teach lessons or offer answers. It’s simply a place to share stories—some from the funeral home, some from everyday life, some imagined, and some that refuse to stay quiet once they’ve been heard.

Some posts will be lighthearted. Others more reflective. A few may surprise you. All of them come from the same place: a belief that when we slow down enough to listen, we’re reminded of what really matters.

If you find yourself smiling, nodding, or pausing for a moment as you read, then this space is doing what it’s meant to do.

Thanks for being here.
There are plenty of stories to tell.

— Martin