In the last couple of blogs, I have had the distinct privilege of exploring and explaining the Core Values of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services. In this update, we’re focused on our third Core Value – “We Serve with Compassion.”
We Serve with Compassion
Compassion is itself, a very over-used word – particularly in the Funeral Home and Cemetery industries. We all agree that we should be compassionate. We all agree that compassion is a great attribute. But carrying out this core value involves a lot more than a cursory acceptance of those ideas. Compassion wells up from the heart of a person who is truly passionate about serving people and about building relationships. When you realize that few other things in life are as important as the bonds we make or break with other human beings, then you have a start on true compassion.
Compassion is measured in the toughest of moments, when we encounter those times, places, and people that test the limit of who we are and what our humility will allow us to endure. Grieving people experience and express grief in different ways. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s accepted stages of grief include Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. While we don’t have the time to flesh out each stage, it’s safe to say that a person struggling with any one of these stages, other than Acceptance, could test our ability to show Compassion. A person in Denial can be resistant to any heartfelt concern, struggling to accept the truth of a loss. Anger makes a grieving person especially challenging to help. Bargaining sometimes causes a grieving person to turn inward with blame, making it difficult to form a connection. Depression builds walls that shut out help and concern.
And so, when we consider the core value of being compassionate, we realize that compassion goes well beyond an emotion or intention. Being compassionate means persistently seeking opportunities to help, to care, and to show concern, even in the face of rejection, frustration, and distancing behavior. I’m certainly not a Psychiatric professional, but my experience as a Funeral Director, and the wisdom of our many experienced team members, tells me that the ability to be compassionate comes from the design of your heart. The rightness of being compassionate persists, regardless of the strain of the situation. And in the end, Serving with Compassion, is worth the expense, the stress, and the sacrifice.
Justin Baxley, President
Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services


