And when you don’t know, your mind fills in the gaps. These aren’t strange questions; they are human ones:
My name is Tilli. I’m 19 years old, and I recently started working at Lovell Meizer Funerals with my aunties, Kristy and Shi. Before this, I was someone standing on the outside, wondering the same things many families quietly think about.
After losing my baby brother, I learned that grief makes your mind wander to places you never expected. When someone you love dies, your thoughts can become overwhelming. Without understanding what actually happens, my mind would have been everywhere, with the unknown leading only to more questions.
Experiencing such a personal loss gave me a completely different perspective.
Suddenly, the fears and questions families carry didn’t just feel understandable, they felt personal. What we do affects me because I know that behind every family walking through our doors is someone carrying a heartbreak like mine. Someone trying to navigate a world that continues moving after someone you love is gone.
I once would have imagined silence, distance, and cold rooms. I’ve now seen and learned that what we do is built entirely around care.
Your loved one is someone important. There is so much dignity in the little things the public never sees:
Real people treating your loved one with respect. The care taken in brushing someone’s hair or doing their nails. The effort put into placing them peacefully so their family can see them one last time.
I’ve found that, for me, fear comes from losing control, and that fear can sometimes be heavier than the reality itself. The reality is not cold or frightening; it is emotional, human, and gentle. Whether a family chooses to view their loved one or not, they are always looked after with the same gentle touch, by people who genuinely care.
While nothing can take away the pain of loss, understanding what happens behind the scenes has brought me a comfort I didn’t know I needed, just enough to let the healing begin.
Tilli x
