Who Will Write Your Legacy Obituary?

I start this column with the question, "Who will write your obituary?"

If you have lived a noteworthy life, you may be fortunate enough that television, magazines, radio and newspapers will publish the news of your passing with commentary and articles mourning your passing. For most of us, our passing will be only be noted in the obituary we write, provide to the funeral home, and we pay for inclusion in the obituary section of our local newspaper.

If you have lived a meaningful life, one that you are proud of, and one that should inspire your relatives and descendants, perhaps you should give serious consideration to writing your own obituary. Without a permanent record, details of your life will be lost to future generations.

When I was a boy, my older cousin, Thomas Lee "Tommy" Harper lived with our family for two years. After he moved away, we saw each other only occasionally.

Years later, Tommy died as a result of suicide. I have heard bits and pieces of the alleged facts, but the picture as a whole is unknown to me.

Last year, I visited Jacksonville, Florida for the purpose of photographing cemetery monuments and with the goal of visiting Tommy's grave and the graves of other relatives. With advance research and planning, I was able to locate Tommy's grave.

As the photo shows, it is a simple bronze marker. During the time that Tommy and I lost touch with each other, he had, apparently, served in the U.S. Army. Wow! This detail surprised me.

A clue to Tommy's life I thought! Unfortunately, other than the single clue, "U.S. Army" there is nothing else about Tommy's service in the military of our great country. How long did he serve? What training did he receive? Where was he stationed? Did he serve in Vietnam? What was his rank when he was discharged? Did he earn any medals? I wish a lot more clues had been left for the genealogist in the family.

How many details regarding your life will you leave for your ancestors? Will yours be a life with no more details than those left on your tombstone, or will you have a meaningful legacy obituary that summarizes the meaningful highlights of your life?

Think about it, but do much more than just thinking; how about taking action now, by making your end-of-life plans with your funeral home.

Write your legacy obituary and give detailed written instructions to your family and to the funeral home regarding your wishes. If you love your family, you should not add to the stressful burden your loss will bring, so be considerate and demonstrate your love for others and take action now. After all, it is the right thing to do.

Burton Fletcher
www.USAMonuments.com
Burton@USAMonuments.com

The Student Gives Great AdviceTo His Former Professor!

I have the good fortune to maintain contacts with previous students from a previous long career in education. I received the following message from a gentleman who was a student of mine more than 20 years ago. I hope you will agree that the student has shared great advice with his former professor.


"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin. "

Anonymous


Share with others the wisdom contained within these insightful and beautiful words. Take time to smell the roses through this journey we call life.

Burton Fletcher
www.USAMonuments.com
Burton@USAMonuments.com

Is Your Monument Builder Truly Creative?

I ask the question, "Is your monument builder truly creative?" because I believe a lot of monument companies are not. Obviously, some are very creative, but too many are luke warm sellers.

I read a comment from Bill Bates concerning the funeral industry that I have modified to apply to the monument industry.

"So many [monument companies] are afraid to risk rejection or to look foolish that they stifle their creativity. In so doing they sell out for a luke warm career when their work in [monument] service could be exciting. They miss making as healing, dynamic and creative contributions to others that they could. If I can say any one thing to the young people in [the monument industry] it would be, “your creativity is yours, it is inside of you and no one else. If you don’t connect with it and offer it, every one loses.”

Bill is right about his opinions of the funeral industry and I am right about my opinions regarding the monument industry.

Well constructed monuments facilitate healing, and family pride, but too many monuments are "me too" boring products that offer very little to memorialization.

Use your creativity and passion to educate clients on the possibilities for the creation of legacy memorials.

No one should enter a field seeking "a luke warm career." You owe your clients your imagination.

Burton Fletcher
www.USAMonuments.com
Burton@USAMonuments.com

Are Internet-Based Monument Companies Naturally More Creative?

As reflected in the title to this article, I pose my question as it reflects a discussion that needs to be had within the death-care industry relating to creativity. I have long argued that the monument industry has not been creative enough, preferring instead to earn a quick buck at the expense of creating a legacy memorial for their clients. This lack of creativity has filled cemeteries with “me-too” monuments that are boring and unattractive.

Bill Bates, the President of a death-care industry training program for funeral homes sent me an email titled, “On Becoming Creative.” Bill is a leader in creativity in the death-care industry so his words should receive rapt attention.

“Words can be powerful; especially the words that make up loving eulogies and the ones we use to honor others, yet words are but symbols of symbols, thus twice removed from truly effective communication. If words only, form the bases of funeral ceremonies, which they have in the American funeral, they of their nature must fail to fully capture the essence of an individual beyond the material facts and figures of his or her life. The fact that an individual graduated from college, had a dynamic and successful career, was married, a father and grandfather and retired says little about his heart, his victories and defeats, his courage in the face of adversity.”

“The ability to creatively demonstrate each individual’s accomplishments, religious, spiritual or philosophically perspectives and relationships form the basis or foundation of good funerals. They give meaning to the word personalization or interactive funeral ceremony.”

“Creative ceremonies go beyond the use of words to tell a story and communicate the meaning of a life. Some level of creativity is required to symbolize such things as goodness, integrity, love, kindness, tenacity, courage and all of the stuff we value about being human that lies beneath the activity of a life. A picture truly becomes worth a 1000 words when we can show the beauty in loving relationships through participation or when we can creatively demonstrate the characteristics that others loved in the deceased. Our ability to paint the picture energizes the experience and moves family and friends, impacting their perception of value in the experience.”

Bill gets it! He understands something very important that a lot of funeral homes and monument companies have failed to understand and express through their work. As a whole, the monument industry has not been as creative as it could or should have been as many folks entered the industry as mediocre tradesmen, lacking in big-picture creativity or communication skills to truly educate the consumer.

Thanks to online retailers, such as http://www.usamonuments.com/, traditional monument companies are crawling slowly toward the Internet scene as consumers are demanding the shop-from-home convenience and creativity that the Internet-based memorialist offers.

If a company is creative on the Internet, then they are more likely to be creative in memorializing a loved one’s legacy.

If you want to purchase a mediocre monument, it really doesn’t matter as much where you purchase, and price alone may be the primary focus of your commodity purchase.

However, if you want an heirloom memorial, look at the creativity of the memorialist and you are more likely to achieve something special in memorilizing yourself through a preneed purchase, or in memorializing a loved one.

Remember, Bill gets it! I hope you do too!


Burton Fletcher
http://www.usamonuments.com/
Burton@USAMonuments.com

Local Monument Companies Are Defensive Regarding Online Competition

In reply to my thoughts on the impact of online competition on the local monument company, an individual who I will call Mr. Monroe, wrote his opinions that demonstrate the defensiveness of local monument companies in regard to online competition such as www.USAMonuments.com.

“It's not like shopping for a brand name product with a model number that is exactly the same no matter where it’s purchased from. You can even shop for a car much easier than you can for a monument.”

Actually, more and more auto dealers are using the Internet to provide prospective purchasers shop-from-home convenience. Consumers often shop locally and then purchase online or vice versa. There is plenty of business for different channels of distribution.

If a company has a high-quality Internet site, there is a high probability that the consumer will be satisfied with the final memorial product. Conversely, if a local monument company operates out of a shack, with a display of "me-too," same color samples and boring designs, and without a high-quality website, then there is a high probability that the consumer will not have a superior heirloom memorial when manufacturing is completed. Buyer beware!

“With so many varying degrees of workmanship not to mention the different names being used like *classic gray* that could mislead a consumer into thinking it's that common *Barre gray* seen throughout his cemetery until he notices that his gray is holding moisture and always looks damp with dark spots.”

Numerous online photos and granite samples are used by online sellers to effectively communicate to purchasers what they are buying. No responsible local or Internet-based company wants consumer complaints and no responsible company is going to intentionally mislead a consumer. We have numerous satisfied clients with a sampling of our wide variety of products shown on our website.

If anything, online sellers work harder to develop relationships as they do not have in-your-pocket relationships with local funeral homes who often receive kickbacks from monument companies. Online monument companies work independently of these home-town practices that cause prices to be higher than necessary.

Communication is critical and online marketing, if used wisely, is an excellent communication tool. Our company serves local, national and international markets that clue us into upcoming trends in other markets.

“I set a granite marker for an online company (I won't do it again) and the marker was Georgia gray with a flat carving filled with black litho. She told me she shopped around and the local companies were more expensive. I said to her they probably wouldn't have been more expensive if they understood what they were quoting against. You thought you saved money, but this online company cut corners to save itself money and appear more competitive. It wasn't an apples vs. apples comparison. To me, shopping online for a monument is much like opening a box of Cracker Jacks - you never know what you are going to get.”

Mr. Monroe, you won’t receive an argument from me regarding the importance of comparison shopping. Poor workmanship is not unique to any one facet of the industry; however, you overstate your case by comparing online sellers to opening a box of Cracker Jacks.

If you were truly consumer focused, you would install monuments for out-of-state companies as that would best serve the needs of the folks whom you serve. You are in a service industry and you should never forget that important fact.

Actually, high-quality online sellers provide detailed designs before manufacture, and photos of the finished product before the manufactured goods are shipped, so the consumer is assured of satisfaction before making final payment.

I would argue that the entire monument industry has serious problems in quality control, especially in the installation phase of monument construction.

“The begging question remains, who is more likely to stand behind their product and replace it if necessary, the local business with word of mouth reputation at stake? Or the out of state online company?”

Online companies are increasingly your local competitor who adopts a consumer orientation. An online competitor with ample photos of products they have actually produced assures the public that the company is one of substance. Unfortunately, no company can guarantee 100% satisfaction 100% of the time. Sadly, there are folks in this world who are impossible to please. We have all had negative experiences with this sort of personality.

I predict a continuing blending between store-front and online advertising as the business model that most merchants will follow. I have observed lots of shoddy workmanship by store-front businesses and the superior craftsmanship of products shown online has opened opportunities for interstate marketing for local mom-and-pop businesses.

I invite anyone to deny that you can visit most cemeteries where you will readily see a wide assortment of monuments improperly installed, wretchedly designed and poorly manufactured by local monument companies.

There have been numerous examples of serious problems in the death-care industry where local companies took the money and did not produce as they promised. The public cannot be fooled as they have seen for themselves that many problems show up after the local monument company has gone out of business due to poor quality control, financial mismanagement, poor health or death of the owner, et cetera.

Long ago, Henry Ford, with inadequate competition, spoke words to the effect that the consumer could have any color they wanted as long as it was black. The U.S. monument industry continues to resist change and for too long offered the public its choices of gray granite when the consumer wanted greater variety of colors and styles.

Eventually, the public looked for alternatives outside the neighborhood market as the local monument company was slow to meet the changing demands of its market. If you fail to satisfy your market, you will lose market share, and that is a lesson for all businesses, regardless of the industry in which they compete. The Internet is a great place to shop and buy and will continue to impact local monument companies that fail to adapt to change. Adapt or die is my motto!

Burton Fletcher
www.USAMonuments.com
Burton@USAMonuments.com

Online Marketing Has Changed The Monument Business For The Better!

Our company has both a local and an online presence serving a local, national and international clientele. Like the progressive company we are, we chose to have a powerful online presence; however, with that said, our online presence is significantly stronger than most monument companies in the U.S. market. See www.USAMonuments.com a/k/a www.BigBeautifulMonuments.com and form your own opinion.

I read a fellow online who I will call Mr. Granite Chips wrote, “I know many common commodity items are routinely purchased over the internet with great convenience. However, is it really wise for consumers to purchase custom crafted products such as granite memorials via the internet? We as memorialists all know too well that granite monuments can and usually do vary greatly in quality, craftsmanship, shape carving, deep roses, etching, sandblast, hand carving, lettering just to name several as well as grade of granite being used perhaps more than any other product in the marketplace?”

Mr. Chips, makes his points as best he can; however, I think it is also clear that he does not have a significant online presence. If he did, he would know that companies that sell online offer greater variety, shop-from-home convenience and excellent craftsmanship, often far superior to the local marketplace, and without high pressure sales during the grieving process.

Another monument dealer who I will call Mr. Yankee Stonecrafter wrote in reply to Mr. Chips, “I as recently as yesterday was directed to a website by a customer who saw something that gave them some ideas for a family monument. They were using the internet for reference, but not to purchase. The customers volunteered that they would not buy a monument over the internet because as they say “seeing is believing.” There are always going to be people who will buy anything and everything on the net, just as there were people before the net existed who didn't care about craftsmanship or quality, only price. "

Mr. Yankee could also have said that there are always going to be folks who purchase locally without paying adequate attention to the wide selection offered over the Internet. Internet designs are seen and these same designs are not offered in the displays of most brick-and-mortar companies. If you want unique, you should shop online. If you want a traditional commodity purchase, then you may still want to shop online for the savings we can offer.

Mr. Yankee continued, writing, "The internet has only made it easier for those types of customers to shop. I think it may help some of us who do care about quality and craftsmanship in the long run by helping to choke out the dealers have no business representing our craft. The internet is great reference tool, the best. However I believe that is where it ends. Or course there is the porno and that's a big plus.”

I won't comment on Mr. Yankee's admitted Internet viewing habits; however, I appreciate his admission that the Internet has made it easier for consumers to shop. Anyone who invests in the technology of the Internet is likely to offer superior creativity and construction of truly unique designs.

I took editorial license to edit the words of these two monument builders. I do not consider myself to be in competition with their companies as I am a unique memorialist more than a monument builder and I suspect they serve only a limited geographic market.

Also, I seek to avoid the commodities market in which so many monument companies market themselves. Instead, we seek a market niche of often upscale, unique, and one-of-a-kind designs.

In addition, I frequently receive calls from prospective clients who advise me that the local monument company representative was impolite, ill informed, offered a limited selection, or offered a price that was significantly higher than the price offered by my company. I also frequently take business from competitors who dominate the Internet with their online presence.

There are all types of prospective and actual clients, just as there are a wide variety of business people in this world. There is plenty of business to go around! Clients can view our offerings to instantly see that we are conscientious, offer creativity and high-quality products. My advice to anyone knew to the monument industry is to carve your niche and you will succeed, regardless of your business platform.

Too many of our competitors have a small sampling of me-too monuments that perpetuates the status quo in the marketplace. Cemeteries are filled with what I call Cliche Monuments with the same color and the same serpentine top with little, if any, imagination or story telling.

I suspect the home-town monument builder has been helped more than hurt by the online reseller as there were a lot of very poor and boring designs as well as inferior workmanship before the online retailers educated consumers on the wide assortment of options available. We offer more than mere shop-from-home convenience, but also great prices with some of the finest workmanship to be found anywhere.

We are proud to create unique memorial products and we prefer to leave the focus on commodity sales to others. Our clients are often discriminating, high-end purchasers and they will continue to be our primary market niche in the future.

I got into this business to shape opinions and change market practices as I saw significant deficiencies in memorialization that I sought to change. As one of the most published memorialists in the United States, I am proud of our positive impact in the marketplace.

As with so many other industries, online marketing has forced brick-and-mortar businesses to modify their business practices to satisfy a consumer who is often demanding and fickle. Those monument companies that refuse to adapt will die off, for they perpetuate the past more than shape the future.


Burton Fletcher
http://www.usamonuments.com/
Burton@USAMonuments.com

Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Who Will Write Your Final Cut?

I was watching “The Final Cut,” a science fiction drama starring Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino and James Caviezel. As a memorialist, I particularly enjoyed this film.

First-time filmmaker Omar Naim writes and directs the science fiction drama The Final Cut. The movie is set in the near future. The story concerns a microchip that is capable of recording a person's entire life. Robin Williams plays Alan Hakman, an editor who cuts together the footage to make pleasant movies for funerals.

The film has a theme that 1 in 20 people have memory chips and Williams’ character, known as “a cutter,” assembles categories of memory, e.g., family, career, community, et cetera. At the end of people’s lives, the editor assembles the best of the life stories, careful to delete footage that reflects the sins of mortal men and women.

For most of us, a diary or journal is as close to a memory chip as we will ever have. We can be honest to the degree that our characters will allow, and we can be as complete or incomplete as we desire.

Everyone has a story and, for most people, their story will die with them, except as preserved in the memories of others or through a memorial or family history. Our memories are encrypted in the minds of others and this data can be reached through personal interviews, perhaps using the Family History Questionnaire.
I am a big proponent of our Family History Questionnaire, http://www.valdostamemorials.com/family_history_questionnaire.htm to interview relatives before they pass away.

I am also a strong advocate for the use of Life History Plaques (SM) to memorialize our lives and the lives of others as part of the cemetery monument. See, http://www.valdostamemorials.com/LifeHistoryPlaques.asp.

One line in the film states word to the effect that “it is for the greater good that your life mean something.” That is a thought that everyone should reflect upon.

If you want your life to mean something, and everyone should aspire to leave the world better because of their actions, then the Family History Questionnaire and the Life History Plaques (SM) are excellent starting points for documenting your family history.

Preserve your family history; after all, centuries from now, the only knowledge of your family may be what you, yourself, preserve. Just do it, and do it now; after all, it is the right thing to do. Besides, this may be your only opportunity to do your own final cut!

Oh, “the Final Cut” is a fine movie for anyone, but especially enjoyable for anyone in the death-care industry.

Burton Fletcher
www.USAMonuments.com
Burton@USAMonuments.com
Copyright, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Family Squabbles And Monument Replacement

I received a call this morning in my capacity as president of the Georgia Monument Builders Association.

"I'm from Florida," the woman said, "and my sister replaced our parent's monument without informing me."

Apparently, her sister had replaced the monument for her mother and father without bothering to ask her permission, much less to even inform her! Obviously, she was "in shock," when she discovered this insult.

She stated, "daddy didn't even have a monument for (something) years." "My sister didn't think they should have a double monument since they were divorced."

Apparently, it was important enough for the sister to replace a double headstone with two single headstones since mother and father had divorced in the past.

So, what advice would you give in this situation?

"Ma'am," I said, hesitantly, "there are no good answers for you."

"You could sue the monument company, for the original monument, but they are out of business, and what would you do with the stone?"

"You could sue your sister, but that would just generate ill will."

"You could sue the church too, but you probably don't want to do that either."

"It must have been very important to your sister if she was willing to incur this expense. I would just let it go."

"I know," she said, "but I'm just in shock."

In my opinion, her sister handled this entire situation poorly. Family decisions require family consensus for family harmony. When one person goes off to unilaterally make decisions, even when well meaning, then the other family members have a right to be disappointed.

If faced with a similar decision, I hope you will do the right thing. After all, the right thing, is the right thing to do!

If you have thoughts you wish to share, please email me at Burton@USAMonuments.com and I will post select comments on this site. I thank you in advance for your contributions to improve the death-care industry, memorialization and honor the loved ones of grieving families. Burton Fletcher Owner http://www.usamonuments.com/

Mental Illness, Difficult Clients & Service In The Monument Industry

Some time back, the daughter of a client filed a malicious and illegitimate complaint against me personally, and my company, saying we had not manufactured a monument as we had been instructed to do.

The facts were contrary to what this woman was saying and all of our attempts to resolve her complaints were met with hostile reactions. Though we tried, there was no appeasing this person. All of us have, at one time or another, known individuals who were excessively, and unrealistically, fault finding.

This woman had numerous altercations with a wide assortment of individuals and she acted in a bizarre manner with severe and wide mood swings. We enjoyed working with her father, but she was an irascible individual who attacked me privately and publicly, and both personally, and professionally. I was just one of many individuals with whom she was in open conflict as she sought to “protect” her father, who, in all respects, is a man of great character and honor.

Today, I received a message that this woman had recently been incarcerated pursuant to the Baker Act, a Florida statute that allows involuntary mental evaluations under various conditions. See, http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/mentalhealth/laws/index.shtml. The Baker Act is a law that gives the police or doctors the broad power to lock up individuals for 72 hours for observation if it is believed that they may be harmful to themselves or others.

Whether involuntary, or voluntary, I hope this woman will receive the psychiatric assistance she desperately needs. I am a strong proponent for supporting and treating individuals who suffer from mental illness. Her incarceration validated my belief that this woman was unable to make rational decisions due to her mental illness.

As monument builders, we must always strive to exercise patience with the families whom we serve. It is not always easy, but we should try. Sooner or later, the truth will come to light and victims will be exonerated of the aspersions cast falsely upon them.

Pray for and support individuals with mental illness especially during times of mourning and through the cycles of grief, as “the final straw” may occur as a result of the loss of a loved one. It is not always easy, but always remember that some personal attacks are the imperfection of the attacker and not the fault of the accused.

Proverbs 3:30, "Do not accuse a man for no reason — when he has done you no harm."

Proverbs 19:5, " A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free."

If you have thoughts you wish to share, please email me at Burton@USAMonuments.com and I will post select comments on this site. I thank you in advance for your contributions to improve the death-care industry, memorialization and honor the loved ones of grieving families.

Burton Fletcher
Owner
http://www.usamonuments.com/

What Will The Monument Industry Look Like In 10, 20, 50 Years From Now?

Question: What will the monument industry look like in 10, 20, 50 years from now?

Answer: I would like to hear the views of my colleagues within the industry. While I will not be in the industry 20 years from now, I hope the industry is thriving. What we do as memorialists is important to the families we serve. If you have ideas you would like to share, please send them to me.

I'm the moderator and I am strict that ideas should be presented with thought and respect. Otherwise, I have few rules on the subject. Please share your thoughts and identify yourself if you like; however, anonymous is okay too! Please note that though you may be listed as Anonymous, my tracking software identifies the identities of all visitors to my site. This information remains private and confidential.

Share with us by emailing your thoughts to Burton@USAMonuments.com.

Terminology: Monument Versus Memorial

I recently exchanged email with a columnist regarding the difference between a monument and a memorial. I believe the thoughts may be of interest to my readers. Please feel free to email me your own thoughts at Burton@USAMonuments.com.

"Dear John,

You wrote another fine article, “We still need to hear Dr. King's words, not just visit a monument.” As a Southerner, I recall with appall the days of Jim Crow and overt institutional racism. I too am happy that public racism has been censored in our society. As a young man, I spoke out for equality of treatment for the races. As a society, we have come a long way, though we have not achieved equality of treatment or opportunity for our fellow man.

One point that you made deserves comment by me and I wish to express my view that a monument and a memorial though often considered to be synonymous have different meanings.
We memorialize honorees through monuments, plaques, street signs, moments of silence, parades, proclamations, building dedication ceremonies and holidays to honor the lives of noteworthy individuals, organizations, ideas and events.

Memorials are a broader concept than monuments. Surely, Dr. King deserves to be honored and memorialized as his actions were fundamental in changing the heart of a nation. The remembrance site in Washington D.C. will be a memorial. It is true that it will have one or more monuments, but the site itself is a memorial.

As a nationally recognized monument builder, with numerous national publications on the subject, I can state that a monument is, for all practical purposes, an object of remembrance. A memorial incorporates the use of monuments to memorialize the life or event that persons may wish to perpetuate in memory.

As a memorial designer, and owner of USAMonuments.com, I recognize that most families build monuments for their loved ones and not memorials. Private monuments usually express the name, dates of birth and death and perhaps a short epitaph and little more about the individual.

Memorials celebrate and honor the uniqueness of life, celebrating the characteristics of the individual and serving as a resource to not only honor the individual but to educate others both living as well as those who are not yet born.

I advocate the use of a Life History Plaque to memorialize the life and family history of a family’s loved ones. A $250 investment can serve as a testament that will be cherished through the ages and will turn the typical monument into a memorial that will serve to remind us and celebrate and honor our family history. This is much more to a memorial than a monument and Dr. King deserves to have many monuments and memorials to celebrate his profound positive influence on the moral compass of our nation and the world."

Share with us by emailing your thoughts to Burton@USAMonuments.com.

Losing A Pet

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006
LOSING A PET

August 16, 2006 was a very sad day in the Fletcher household. On that day, I lost a beloved pet friend. The following are words that I wrote on that day.

I am sad; very, very sad today, Wednesday, August 16, 2006. My pet friend, Muffin, a beautiful Chihuahua died in my arms as a result of congestive heart failure.

I was crying as I began typing my thoughts today. I knew Muffin had heart troubles and I was treating her as the veterinarian prescribed. This morning, she let out a petitioning wail and I knew it was her end when I saw her.

I picked her up and a few minutes later she died in my arms. Muffin had let out a cry of pain in recent weeks as she was unable to breathe. This time, I picked her up and it was obvious that she was in the process of dying.

My efforts to resuscitate her using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation were not successful. I held her in my arms and in a few minutes she exhaled her last breath.

I loved this pet friend as she was my closest companion during some of the most difficult times of my life. She was with me when I felt abandoned by my friends and was stoned by my enemies.

On most nights, she slept beneath the covers of my bed. There were very few trips away from home when Muffin was not with me.

This is a very sad time for me!

Grieving is not a pleasant emotion.

My best friend, Emi (pronounced “Amy”) age 77 and a victim of dementia, and for whom I am a caregiver, held Muffin’s lifeless body in her arms and against her chest for the longest time.

Though I tried to close them, Muffin’s eyes remained open. Her tongue was out. Her ears were pointed high. Muffin looked as if death had brought her peace!

We respectfully wrapped Muffin’s body in a new blanket and neatly folded the package. We placed the blanket in a box for transport to the veterinarian so Muffin’s body can later be transported to a cremation facility in Gainesville, Florida. It is my desire that Muffin’s ashes be placed along side of Emi’s and mine inside the crypt that will hold our cremains.

Months ago, I installed a memorial for all of my pets at the Fletcher Memorial. This is a very sad day as I have lost the joy of having a great friend. I will cherish the memories during the years we shared together as she was a very special buddy who brought great joy to Emi and me.

Friends of mine arrived and I received a hug of condolence. I asked them to take Muffin’s body to the veterinarian which they did. After they left, Emi cried tearfully and hugged me saying, “Who is going to take Muffin’s place?” In truth, no one, and no pet, will take Muffin’s place. She was very special!

Burton

Share with us by emailing your thoughts to Burton@USAMonuments.com.

Beautiful Memories & The Wisdom Of Clients

I have great relationships with our clients. In one way or another, I seem to learn something from all of my clients. Sandy Reeves hired us to build a memorial for her dad. A message on her email had the following quote: "I dropped a tear in the ocean. When they find it; that's when I'll stop remembering you..."

Those words speak volumes about the bonds we form with our loved ones. I hope you share those same bonds with others in your life. I also hope when you pass away someone will memorialize your memory for eternity. After all, every life is precious and through memorialization, we communicate our love to others.

Sandy, thank you for giving me inspiration.

"I dropped a tear in the ocean. When they find it; that's when I'll stop remembering you..."

Share with us by emailing your thoughts to Burton@USAMonuments.com.

What Do You Expect In A Website?

As you view www.USAMonuments.com or www.ValdostaMemorials.com, please take a few moments to bookmark our site so you can locate us in the future. Also, please provide us with feedback on our site and express your likes and your dislikes. You can email me directly at Burton@USAMonuments.com or you may call me toll free at 888.978.2883.

Unlike most monument companies, we import products directly and we also serve an international clientele. We have clients from throughout the United States and other countries with a growing list of satisfied clients.

We hope you enjoy our selection of products. We are diversifying and in the future we will be opening up a stone products company named www.InternationalHouseOfStone.com. Under whatever name you may know us, we hope you will visit often as we are a dynamic organization focused more on the present and future than on the past as so many of our competitors seem to be. With your support and assistance we will continue to be in the vanguard of companies totally committed to our client's satisfaction.