The table above is a few years old, but I haven't heard that recent years are much different. It shows the average number of people who died per day by month in 2004.
More people die in January than other months. In my practice over the past 2 weeks I've gotten two sets of families who had a child die and another family where the husband/father died.
Only the husband/father died from natural causes-- an apparent stroke or heart attack after which his car ran into a light pole in a grocery store parking lot. One of the children was a teenager who was riding with a friend driving wrecklessly (there's an ironic word) who drove into a tree. The other kids in the truck survived, but not this one. The other "child" was a woman just beginning independent life on her own, engaged, teaching school, etc. etc. Swerved to avoid a deer and hit a pole.
It happens. And I know (pretty much) how to help people grieve without getting stuck in depression or rage. But mere listening takes a toll.
Count your blessings while they last.
2 comments:
i read somewhere that most women hold off (if they are sick) until after the holidays to let go...and i think that all the bad weather, stress of the holidays, etc could totally add up to people being less careful than needed.
i hope you are taking care of YOU.
Listening takes its toll...indeed
I am a former funeral director. I learned early in my career not to grieve with my families. However their greif still wears you down.
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