It’s a time of life that comes for every single one of us eventually. None of us lives forever and our day will come. With many other facets of life we tend to make plans, whether it be where to build a house, a dream overseas holiday, planning our finances and so on. People are planners because when there is a plan, things tend to work out better and run more smoothly. Planning also gives us peace of mind, knowing that things are covered.
The same should apply to your funeral and memorial. Why wait until you pass and leave all of the planning up to grieving relatives or friends? It’s best to plan for this event in advance and here are some key reasons why.
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#1 – You Will Have a Memorial Exactly How You Want It
While some people may not care about their memorial service and what’s included, others do desire things to be a specific way or to have certain treasured items present. You might want your memorial to be in a specific location and planning your memorial will also include what you want to have done with your body when you pass. Would you prefer burial or cremation?
The more decisions you can make prior to your passing, the better the chance the memorial will be exactly how you envisioned it to be.
#2 – Plan To Have Your Memorial As a Celebration Of Your Life
It’s virtually impossible to hold any form of memorial service without it being a sombre and sad occasion. However, the mood and everything that takes place don’t have to be totally depressing.
When a treasured friend or loved one passes, the entire focus shouldn’t be placed on the fact that they’ve gone. Every one of us has lived a life and that life should be celebrated at a memorial service. It is a sad occasion, but happy and upbeat elements can be added to the service so it becomes a true celebration of someone’s life rather than just grieving their death.
#3 – If You Choose Cremation, What Do You Plan To Do With Your Ashes?
This is something everyone should take into consideration if you choose cremation over burial. Many people opt for cremation so their ashes can be kept by a loved one or scattered someplace special. Most commonly, ashes are scattered into the sea, perhaps at a favourite holiday destination.
With this in mind, you might also want to consider having your ashes specially treated so they can become part of a memorial garden. In gardens like these, your ashes are used to nourish a tree of your choice. Effectively, you get to be a tree after death and your life continues on symbolically within that tree.
It’s a truly beautiful way of preserving someone’s memory and will become a special place for loved ones to visit. It’s certainly something to look into.
#4 – All the Costs Can Be Covered In Advance
One of the most stressful aspects of a funeral can be suddenly having to come up with the money to cover the costs of a memorial service and burial or cremation. If the financial side hasn’t been planned for, it can send grieving loved ones into a stressful panic.
While planning how you would like to be remembered at your memorial service, it’s wise to also plan for the expenses attached to passing on. There are numerous funeral plans you can take advantage of, paying money into them a little at a time until it accumulates into a lump sum that will cover all the costs of your funeral expenses.
#5 – You Will Help Prevent Family Conflict
Everyone in your family might have their own ideas to contribute to your memorial and this is fine, so long as it doesn’t lead to conflict and stress at the time. This is why it’s often better to determine what you want for your memorial and let everyone know ahead of time. Your wishes will be met and there will be far less chance of conflicting ideas among family members.
The Takeaway
Although death is never a pleasant subject, planning ahead will make sure your memorial service is memorable for all the right reasons.
