Oscar Wilde wrote that, “Life is too important to take seriously.”  This is a concept that resonates with most of us in our industry.  Every day we are challenged to meet the emotional needs of our clients while balancing our business and financial needs.  We are pushed to tend to the piles of paperwork which seem to grow each time we pick up the phone.  At the same time we must truly practice the art of presence each time we meet with a family.  Our double edged sword is the knowledge that each day may contain the unexpected.  This keeps our professional life from becoming routine, yet also creates situations where having a plan for the day is impossible.  Many of us have experienced periods of stress where the workload of the gotta-do’s are not going to get done unless we stay late or get to the office early.  We work in an industry where the time clock is never punched and there is no such thing as a true day off as long as you remain in your city.  And the strange thing is: we would not have it any other way.  This industry gets into our blood.  There is immense satisfaction in knowing that we are able to help our clients at the worst moment of their life.  We work in a field that most people avoid even thinking about, much less face each day: death.   Yet, for us, there is simply no better way to make a living.   (more…)