The summer between college and grad school, I was bored out of my skull, anxious about the future, and broke. Lucky for me, my cousin—also one of my best friends—offered me a job. Minor detail: he owns a funeral home.
Yes, that kind of funeral home—where we celebrate the lives of loved ones, grieve tragic losses, and say our final goodbye. Before you ask, yes I saw the deceased and no I didn’t embalm anyone. Most often, I was a suit-wearing, finger pointing, glorified crossing guard showing mourners where to go. I also listened to more eulogies than you could count. Ironically, just as I was about to embark on a career supporting the living, I learned what it means to live a meaningful life from the deceased.
In between assisting grieving families and friends to their seats, driving the hearse, and handing out prayer-books, I got a front row seat to what really matters. Here are the lessons that stuck with me from my time in the mourner’s masterclass-
Values outlast valuables.
Job titles, bank accounts, and fancy clothes fade. How you make others feel doesn’t.
It’s never too late to change.
Life offers endless second chances. The only mistake is refusing to take them.
Giving beats taking.
The gift of giving—your time, your love, your attention—benefits the giver as much as the receiver.
Leave it better than you found it.
Whether it’s a place, a person, or yourself, improvement is the best legacy.
Success means serving something bigger.
Accomplishments matter most when they lift others up.
Everything ends—so live intentionally now.
Happiness, sadness, wins, and losses are temporary. Accepting that makes every moment more meaningful.
Courage is the thread through every great life.
Whether it was surviving tragedy, standing up for what’s right, or simply taking a risk for love—courage was the common denominator in the best eulogies.
Relationships and experiences > stuff.
Your fancy car won’t hold your hand at the end. People will.
In the end, the mourner’s masterclass didn’t teach me about death. It taught me how to live well.