This was originally posted as a Tip of the Week brought to you by TIPINIONS www.tipinions.com (on June 5/23).
We felt the need to take it one step further and add it to the Important Information tab to be read anytime without going looking for it in a post as many would not necessarily see it there.
People have the option to make these decisions prior to their demise with Funeral Homes. It is definitely something to look into and put down on paper. It also gives you the option to start paying a small fee on this instead of burdening others with the cost of this. Some people choose this option and others choose not to.
My parents have had this done this over the years. They have changed their wishes at times and made changes to their arrangements, discussing it with us along the way to keep us up to date as their thoughts on the subject have changed, but they have chosen not to pay for the service as of yet, some people do and some don't - it's not so much about the money to me, as it is about the planning and decision making.
This again is a highly beneficial step in the whole process as again it is about your wishes, your choice.
Some people choose not to have a funeral and I would ask you to reconsider... a funeral is not about the person who has passed, which almost sounds odd to say it in that manner, but I believe that is a true statement - it is a recognition of their life and honouring it.
The funeral is actually for those left behind to provide them a form of closure. Death is final and everyone deals with it in their own way and their own time.
The reason I mention this, is from a life experience. My grandma's sister passed about a year before my grandma's husband passed. My Nan was very close with both of them. Her sister did not want a funeral, and the family honoured her wishes, however, my grandma struggled more with her sister's passing than her husband because there was no closure - it was hard to move on from that.
A funeral or memorial service is what you want it to be but I urge you to think about the ones left behind and how it affects them. Some people don't want a funeral because they don't want anyone to make a fuss over them or the expense of it.
You don't have to have an elaborate or expensive moment, or funeral - it could be a small memorial service with a few close people getting together at an indoor or outdoor location to remember you, share stories, and comfort one another.
Even though I am almost 50, I have completed this task. I am not paying for any of the services at this time, but I have completely written out my funeral arrangement wants, how I would like it to look and what music I would like to have. I have made all the decisions and expressed it in an easy way for others to follow.
I purchased a book a few years ago for my parents and us called “I’m Dead, Now What”! It is a great book to go through and write out the information. It worked for my parents to fill out in pencil or pen – I am more electronic, so I did things following the guidelines of the book and printed it out and put it in a binder.
This book goes through everything – from family members, who to contact and their information, banking, wills, wishes, etc. – it has numerous tabs and information to go through, think about and fill out. It is incredible – it takes time but it will be beyond helpful when it is needed.
Think about finding some information out about this and the different options available. You may not choose to pick a package yet, and that is fine. I haven’t, but I have discussed with my loved ones of what my choices and preferences are. I have made my arrangements of my wishes, I have picked my music, my people, my scriptures that were important to me.
I also made the choice to write my own obituary – why you say…
That will be covered under its own page.
Questions to Ponder:
What are your thoughts on this subject?
What are your wishes and why are they important to you?
Who knows your wishes?
Can they find them when they are needed?
