About Me

My name is Erika. I am former educator in the state of Georgia. Currently, I am serving my childhood community as a funeral director alongside my brother with the support of our mother and other brother. I have always had a love for writing from an early age which led to me winning the Alabama Penman Award in the category of short stories. Right now, I am putting those talents to work helping families honor their loved ones with words as we create obituaries that bring them to life in the minds of the reader. 

 

Often, I am asked three questions: Do you miss teaching? Why did you leave the education field? Would you go back? I miss certain aspects of teaching. I left the classroom because I realized I was allergic to other folk’s kids. Right now, the Lord has not moved my heart in the direction of classroom. I feel that the world is my classroom, and I can use my talents to teach and help anyone with a touch of humor and a splash of my random thoughts. 

 

I love being a funeral director. Nothing is more satisfying than to see that I was able to put a smile on someone’s face while they are in the midst of their grief. Many people do not realize that this profession, when performed with a servant’s heart and for the correct reasons, is truly a ministry in itself. Unfortunately like most things, it does come with a price. Funeral directors tend to carry the burdens of their customers with them often leading to depression and other mental health issues. During a time in my community when there was a high rate of homicides and then the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, my heart was being torn and my emotional state was becoming unbalanced. With encouragement, I turned back to writing. So, through my healing came many of my thoughts on various topics relating to my family, love life, professional career and my community.  

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