By Alexandra Kathryn Mosca
who has worked as a funeral director for 35 years
1. First and foremost, I've learned that funerals matter. Nothing can take the place of ritual and ceremony.
2. People have a profound need to say goodbye. Funerals provide that opportunity.
3. There is no closure. In time, loss gets easier to bear, but grief includes losing a part of oneself.
4. People need a place to go for continued connection, of that I am firmly convinced. Cemeteries offer that like nowhere else. They serve as a place of permanence in a transitory world.
5. The words of 19th Century British statesman William Ewart Gladstone are as important today as they ever were: “Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”
About Alexandra Kathryn Mosca
Alexandra has worked as a funeral director in New York City for more than 35 years. She is a regular contributor to industry magazines including American Funeral Director, American Cemetery, and the Director. She’s also the author of three books: Grave Undertakings (2003), Green-Wood Cemetery (2008), and Gardens of Stone (2016).
www.alexandramosca.com
You can follow her on Instagram or Twitter.
