Starting the Conversation….

I just read an article on when is the right time to do pre-planning? It was interesting that usually people don’t start thinking about this until around 55+. However, the article talked about the number of younger people who have begun to at least talk about it because of Covid. There were 2 stories shared by surviving spouses in their 20s who were not prepared for death. Each was not prepared to deal with death as the “next of kin.” Yet, each had to make all the decisions around the kind of service, how the body would be prepared, and where the burial would occur. Because there had been no discussion between them about death care, the spouse had no “guidelines” for what would be best. Also, because the death had occurred at such a young age, the deceased families wanted to make decisions that they had no right to do. 

Maybe one doesn’t have to have “all” the decisions around pre-arrangement formally done at such a young age, but there needs to be at least some discussion around a few questions: 

1. Do they want to be buried or cremated? 
2. What kind of service do they wish to have? 
3. Where do they want their body/cremated remains to be interred for permanent memorialization? 
4. How will you pay for the services you choose?

There are also resources to help families begin these kind of conversations. The conversation project, https://theconversationproject.org has a number of free guides to help you begin this process. There is a conversation starter guide, a workbook entitled, “What Matters to Me?,” and other types of information that can assist with steps to start “talking. 

We are so good at planning for everything other than our death, even though it’s a 100% guarantee that it will happen to each of us. Let’s begin thinking of the family member(s) who would benefit from our forethought in planning. It is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. 

Resurrection and Gethsemance Cemeteries are hosting FREE no obligation pre-planning seminars. To learn more about pre-planning cemetery and financing options, register today by clicking on the button below!