One of the most neglected aspects of planning for seniors (and their
children alike) is planning for funeral services. For most people,
talking about funeral planning is a taboo subject that should be
resisted and rejected outrightly. Some people even hold myths about
funeral planning that are anything but simeply that ... myths. One
family I talked to recently told me that they had resisted talking
about funeral services for their parents -- until then -- because they
believed that doing so would hasten their passing. I told them that I
did not think that they believed that they should not carry auto
insurance because doing so would hasten an accident in their lives. How
sad that people today see hold such beliefs about a subject that
confronts all of us in our lives.
Planning for funeral services
can be an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate their
loved ones' lives even more deliberately and purposefully. In several
postings to follow, I will highlight and, hopefully, debunk some myths
about planning for funeral services. My goal in these postings will be
to help you (and your loved ones) prepare for something one US
President called only one of "two certainities in life." (The other one
being taxes) Instead of dreading discussing this important subject, I
will attempt to show that planning for funeral services can be one of
the greatest gifts you can give to your loved ones.
As a Family
Service Counselor, I sit across from many families who come in at-need
without any prior arrangements for funeral services. Many of them
express surprise -- indicating that they did not know that they could
have made plans for their loved ones' funeral services years in
advance. Now they are forced to do at a time when they are emotionally
vulnerable and financially stretched -- and saddled -- with hefty
health bills from caring for their loved ones. Other families lament
the fact that they kept putting off the decision to make plans when
they were presented with the opportunity to do so. Some of you are
already familiar with this sad picture because, somewhere along life's
line, you have been part of the process of making arrangements for a
loved one AFTER their passing.
I
invite your questions and responses to the postings. After all, we are
never meant to walk through life alone. Thank you.