Embracing the Inevitable:Encounters With Death

By Patricia Todd

Here is your warning: This book is a candid and unfiltered account of my experience as a Body Removal Technician. The police like to jokingly call us the body snatchers. We are responsible for picking up deceased individuals from their place of death. Despite the perception that this is a mundane job, I can assure you that it is far from ordinary. There is a reason the turn over in this industry is extremely high . Prepare yourself to be shocked, saddened, and perhaps, even haunted by the stories I share. This book aims to counter your preconceived notions about death and it will make you question what you thought you knew.
Death is such a taboo subject. People think if it's not discussed it will go away. I used to be one of those people. The amount of sleepless nights I have endured, anxiously anticipating the death of a loved one, or my dogs, would make your head spin. Today, I can honestly say, that I no longer fear death. I sleep like a baby now. I see what we humans look like after we pass. I see the smiles, grins and often laughter etched into our faces. I see the peace, contentment, and relief on our faces. I see death up close, for 96 hours straight, every week. Each chapter is dedicated to a soul or numerous souls, who I had the honor of giving their last car ride to. 
I strongly believe it is important for us to openly discuss and become comfortable with the topic of death. It is an inevitable reality that we all will face. I also believe that much of the fear surrounding death diminishes as we acquire more knowledge about it. Researchers have actually concluded that the people who embrace and accept death live more meaningful lives. To, me that makes complete sense. We appreciate people and precious moments more when we know neither are going to last forever. It has actually been said that the ones who are afraid of death don't live at all. We all have struggles. We all know life is hard. But, there is a reason for all the obstacles thrown in our path. I firmly believe that one day it will all make complete sense.  I pray you each walk away from this book knowing there's something greater out there in this vast universe. By incorporating humor, I aim to counter the sadness often associated with this  subject. It is my firm belief that nobody should fear something that ultimately has the potential to be a beautiful and profound experience. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patricia Todd
• Release date: Sep 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223207856

Book preview

Encounters With Death

Part One and Two

Patricia Todd

Table of contents 

Embracing The Inevitable  1

Encounters With Death

Part One and Two

Patricia Todd

Chapter 1

Cease To Exist

Chapter 2

A New Beginning

Chapter 3- Facing Fear

Chapter 4

The Hills Have Eyes

Chapter 5

That Putrefaction is No Joke

Chapter 6

Gone too soon

Chapter 7

A Man’s Best Friend

Chapter 8

The Loyal Latinos

Chapter 9

Body Contortions

Chapter 10

A Tough Lesson to Learn

Chapter 11

What happened to  her head?

Chapter 12

The Definition of Heartbreak

Chapter 14

Soul Growth

PART 2

Chapter 15

Time We Can’t Get Back

Chapter 16-Listening Ears

Chapter 17

Anger and Grief

Chapter 18

Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 19- Unbreakable Bond

Chapter 20

So Many Questions

Chapter 21-Suddenly

Chapter 22

The Pain is Too Much

Chapter 23

Shattered Dreams

Chapter 22

Its in the Cards

Till  We Meet Again

Closing Prayer

See you later

I am just an average girl from a small town in Alabama. I have no awards or degrees to brag about. I have always had a passion for writing. In fact, I wrote my first book of poetry at the tender age of 6. Although, it definitely reads like a 3-year-old wrote it. I am a wife, a mom and a lover of dogs. I’m currently pursuing my bachelors in Language Arts as a returning college student. I put a lot of time, effort, and love into this book. I am completely transparent in everything I write. You will laugh, you will cry, and you just may have nightmares. 

This book is the true depiction of my job as a body transfer technician. The police like to jokingly call us the body snatchers or we are also known as mortuary transfer technicians. We are the people who pick you up after you pass away. We pick you up from Hospitals, hospices, residences and medical examiners. Wherever you pass away that’s where we go. It may seem like an average, every day, boring job. But I am here to tell you from firsthand experience that it is anything but average and ordinary. What you're going to read in this book will absolutely shock you, sadden you and probably make you question everything you thought you knew about dying. 

I believe it is important for us to foster a greater comfort level with discussing the topic of death. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, the reality remains that each one of us will inevitably face our own mortality. Personally, I find it beneficial to be knowledgeable about this impending experience. The more we understand, the better equipped we are to navigate it. I also believe that much of the fear surrounding death diminishes as we acquire more knowledge about it. Researchers have actually concluded that the people who embrace and accept death live more meaningful lives. To, me that makes complete sense. We appreciate people and precious moments more when we know neither are going to last forever. It has actually been said that the ones who are afraid of death don’t live at all. My intention with this book is to alleviate some of your fears regarding death. By incorporating humor whenever possible, I aim to counter the sadness often associated with the subject. It is my firm belief that nobody should fear something that ultimately has the potential to be a beautiful and profound experience. 

Chapter 1

Cease To Exist 

Death is not the greatest loss; the greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we are still alive. 

Author unknown

Like many individuals I have always harbored a genuine and valid fear surrounding the process of death. There’s one particular memory from my early years that stands out vividly in my mind. At the tender age of four, my sister unexpectedly delivered the most devastating news imaginable: one day my parents would no longer be with us, and I would never see them again. She seemed to derive pleasure from sharing such distressing information with me.  In my innocent and naïve understanding, I believed death meant ceasing to exist all together. As my sister relayed this horrible news to me, I can still recall standing in the dining room of our aging home in Cecil, Alabama. The distinct aroma of bacon filled the air that night. In my line of sight, I could see my parents, experiencing a rare moment of harmony as they shared a special exchange. I remember my mother smile as my father said something to her. Reflecting on this memory now, I believe it resurfaces because of the significance of those fleeting moments between them being affectionate was an incredibly rare occurrence. My parents hardly ever found happiness in each other's presence. Unaware of the impending devastation in my heart, they were completely absorbed in their moment of connection. I idolized my parents, and the thought of them going through this thing called death that my sister had so eagerly informed me about left me paralyzed with fear. How could I ever find joy again if they were to die? They were my whole world. At the tender age of four, I resigned myself to the belief that life was indeed bleak. And unfortunately, I was not mistaken.

Growing up in a strict Catholic household and attending Catholic schools for 12 years, I received ample teachings about our destination after we leave this world. As Catholics, we were presented with three options (I say options because that’s how we were taught to perceive them). If we are terrible human beings and break any of the Ten Commandments, (especially if we do not go to confession after doing such horrible atrocities) then we go to the bottomless pits of hell-this is a place you never want to enter. Hell is the definition of suffering and torment. You get no second chances or reprieves in hell. The king of hell is a monstrous, beastly devil, in an all-red onesie, with yellow teeth and big, white horns. He has slobber coming out of his mouth and spits blood when he is laying his constant wrath on you.  This detestable fellow tortures you physically and emotionally day and night.  Your heart is in a state of constant brokenness. Your body is always at complete exhaustion, and you feel sick and nauseated all the time. You are working in and around the hottest fire you can imagine, so it feels like an oven on broil.  If you get thirsty, you soon learn, that your thirst will never be quenched. You will always feen for water and would do just about anything for a drop of it.  All the negativity and horrible memories from earth follow you to hell.  You are constantly reminded of all the mistakes you made and the people you loved and lost. Peace is never an option. You will miss your loved ones fiercely and you will be left with hopeless regret and feelings of extreme loneliness that will never go away-Hell is for Eternity. It is a one-way ticket to pure misery.

Then there is Purgatory. I imagined Purgatory being this dark, shadowy, black, empty void. There is no color in purgatory. You are all alone, wandering around aimlessly, with only your thoughts. You remember every single mistake you ever made, and it is your job to figure out why you made the mistake and rectify it with prayer. You're constantly praying and begging for forgiveness. Seeking this forgiveness, purgatory can last centuries, depending on the level of sin you committed. Somewhere in the distance, you can faintly hear the other Catholics praying for your lost soul. They fervently pray for God to intervene and allow you into the most marvelous and enchanting place that you could ever imagine. 

Heaven-even the word is glorious. To me, Heaven is each of our own ideas of what paradise would be like. There is only positivity and serenity. The colors are so bright and vivid that the earth pales in comparison. There is no room for heartbreak, sadness or loneliness.  Financial burdens, illness and conflicts cease to exist. Worries of earthy life are non-existent and equality prevails among all souls. Surrounded by loved ones, a constant feeling of warmth and confront permeates through. To put it simply, it is a constant state of peace, harmony and pure bliss. No illness, irritation, sleepiness, anger or sorrow will ever be found. It is the epitome of absolute and complete contentment.  These teachings had a profound impact on my Understanding of death in the afterlife.!

Unfortunately, my life has been marked by significant struggles.  By

struggles, I don’t mean the typical challenges like not being able to pay your bills on time. I’m referring to the kind of difficult experiences that I wouldn’t want to wish upon anyone. While I won’t delve into all the details of my traumatic events, I assure you that my journey has been far from easy.!

One day, while strolling through job postings on Indeed, I came across a job posting that read, Body removal Technician. This piqued my interest. After conducting some research on google and Reddit, I discovered these technicians are responsible for picking up the deceased from homes, hospice, hospitals, medical examiners, etc and moving them to the funeral homes.  I was definitely intrigued now. 

Then I saw in bold letters, IF YOU ARE BOTHERED BY DEATH DO NOT APPLY. Instead of being deterred, I took this as a personal challenge and applied.  It is still a mystery to me why I took that step. After all, I couldn"t even bear to look at a dead fly, let alone a human body. But something Deep within me urged me to pursue this opportunity.

To be quite honest, I actually never thought I would hear back from the company. So, I continued living my seemingly blessed life and randomly looked and applied to various jobs.

Much to my surprise, two weeks later, I received a call from Mark, the manager of the mortuary. He asked if I would be interested in conducting

Reviews for Embracing the Inevitable:Encounters With Death

[marilyn stoney · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent Writing. I read this entire book throughout 2 days and couldn’t put it down. Get the tissues ready though. This book is such a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and how precious each moment with our loved ones are. It is such a healing book, especially if you are afraid to die. I will read this book many times