What are the reasons that I would pre-arrange my own funeral? First, I would want to help my family by answering some questions that they might not know the answers to. I’m pretty sure my kids know my Mom’s maiden name but I’m also pretty sure they don’t know where she or my Dad were born. If I don’t write some things down for them, they’ll have to go searching.
Next, what do my kids know about my final wishes? Burial vs. cremation? Do I want to be buried in Blenheim or Ridgetown? If I opt for cremation, do I want to purchase an urn or use the container that comes from the crematorium? Do I want my cremated remains interred in the ground, inurned in one of the new columbariums or scattered? Do I want to have a traditional service or do I want something simple that won’t include using the Funeral Home? Would I want to have a clergy perform a service and who would it be? Which newspapers would I want an obituary placed in? Would I want wood or steel casket? Would I want to rent or purchase? Is there any special music that I want to have played or anything that I would want to have said? Questions, questions, questions!
I think that my family talks more about funerals than some, because it’s a big part of our lives. However, if I made up a list of multiple choice questions about my wishes and handed one to each of my kids, their answers would vary greatly. And so what would happen if four strong willed people had to make those final decisions together? It’s called conflict and it hurts families. I don’t want that to happen.
A pre-arranged funeral plan is a good thing. If you aren’t comfortable coming to the Funeral Home, I can come to you. A pre-arranged funeral plan can stop when all of the questions are answered and there’s no obligation to pre-pay although there are some advantages if you do. More about that next week.
Marc
