When I was a Mortician’s Apprentice and I used to dress the departed, I remember two things.

The clothes that their families brought in- no matter how well worn the outfits were- were always in really nice garment bags. Sometimes the garment bags were brand new. I thought that was sweet,  it seemed like they were packing for a trip- maybe to Hawaii or Victoria BC or Disneyland.

The second thing was, when I would put the shoes on the departed, I always did it carefully and gently because it reminded me of the times when I was teaching my sons- and even my younger brother and sister- how to put their own shoes and socks on and tie their laces. When I think back on it, if I talked to my client when I was preparing them for their funeral it was always when I was putting their shoes on or covering their feet.

Death is cruel, it’s a cheat, it’s scary. But sometimes it is undeniably kind.

Photo A.M. Moscoso
Oakwood Cemetery.
Beaver Dam WI USA
October2023