I’d like to touch on a subject that I talk about almost daily: life’s difficult transitions as we age.

The one thing I knew I would be talking about with our customers is ordering a dumpster for their loved one’s possessions when they are downsizing or at the end of life. I just didn’t realize how OFTEN I would be having these conversations. I’m going to guess that I talk about ordering a dumpster for estate cleanouts at least once a week, or every other week.

Let’s face it: no one wants to talk about it, let alone be the one to order the dumpster that your loved one’s lifelong possessions may go into. It can feel like a betrayal to the ones we love. Or it can feel like an unfair burden left undone. Either way… we do HAVE to talk about it.

Above, I’ve included a photo of me and my Dad, whom we lost to Alzheimer’s in 2014. I was privileged to be with him right until the end, and I experienced firsthand what it’s like to walk past a memento and be brought right back to both the love and the grief. Some things we held onto. Some things we donated. Other things we decided to let go of forever. One thing is for sure: letting go of those things did not diminish our love for him.

These are conversations I feel uniquely prepared to have. You see, when I talk to our customers, it’s not just about money and logistics. I truly care about each and every person I talk to, whether they order a dumpster or not. I care about their stories. I care about the reason they need our services. I care about the grief they are experiencing because they need to let go of their own things or the things their loved ones have left behind.

I not only have a heart for people, I’ve had experiences that prepared me for these conversations—and that experience just sort of happened. My Christian faith is literally the cornerstone of my life; I believe that God prepares our way. I do believe He prepared me for these conversations.

How have I been prepared? You might ask…

Well, I spent about six months as a volunteer for Grace Hospice, spending time with hospice patients while their family members ran errands. One particular family asked me to sit with their mother and talk to her like a friend, even though she was not conscious; tell her about my day, read her Bible to her, and act like they weren’t there.

So… I did.

Honestly, that experience was an enormous blessing to me. I felt so honored to sit with their mother as she transitioned. It seemed like my time with her helped them get the closure they needed, and it helped me to be open to being used as God saw fit.

I learned that I don’t always have the right words. I learned that it’s okay to sit in awkward silence. I learned that it’s okay to laugh and be silly in times of heartbreak. I learned that when someone is watching their loved one pass over, they just need you to be there for them in whatever way you can, even when what you’re able to offer feels small.

Another experience that I believe prepared me for these conversations was my time working on the Suicide Crisis Hotline for Common Ground. I spoke with people who simply needed to know they weren’t alone. I spoke with people living with severe mental illness who needed someone to listen. I spoke with people who were actively suicidal and helped connect them with the resources they needed to get to safety. I texted with teenagers who were struggling with self-harm, and on and on and on.

You name it. We talked about it.

Those two positions were some of the hardest, yet most rewarding things I have ever done. Looking back, I can see how they prepared me for such a time as this.

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NIV

Even though these conversations are hard, they usually happen when families and friends are ready to have them. There are a lot of practical things that need to be done before a dumpster is ordered—decluttering, sorting items to donate, having a garage sale, or even an estate sale.

A call to me is usually one of the last calls in these hard, yet necessary, processes. I certainly hope that when you talk to me, you not only get the information you need to make the right decision for you and your family, but that you also feel heard and never pressured.

Finally, please know that when you need to order a dumpster during one of these delicate life transitions, you won’t simply be talking to someone trying to sell you a service. You’ll be talking to a member of your community who will do her best to meet you where you are and compassionately guide you through the process of choosing and ordering the right dumpster for your needs.