Dinner-Table Lessons from the Coroner’s Chair

When you spend your career as a coroner or forensic pathologist, your day-to-day stories don’t often fit neatly between mashed potatoes and green beans. But in my house, they did. When my children were little, we made a point to eat dinner as a family every night, even if my “interesting cases” occasionally became the topic of conversation. Don’t worry, I watered the stories down for young ears. But sharing those experiences wasn’t just about telling tales from work; it was about teaching lessons, lessons about choices, responsibility, and how quickly small mistakes can turn tragic.