Hello again ~ so many people I've gotten to speak with over the years concerning pre-arranging or pre-planning with regards to a funeral believe that means you're going to die. To which I reply, "uhhhh yeah." Maybe my viewpoint is a bit jaded because I'm in the business but here's my analogy -
You purchase insurance for your car IN CASE you get in an accident...but most people don't.
You purchase insurance for your home IN CASE of fire....but most homes never experience a fire.
You purchase renters insurance for your apartment IN CASE something happens to your "stuff" but most times nothing does happen to it.
You take all those precautions against things that may, in fact most likely WON'T occur yet when it comes to pre-planning for your or a loved one's funeral you don't and yet that is the only one of these topics that is a "when" and not an "if". We all die.
True it is not a pleasant thing to ponder yet it protects your family/loved ones, friends or whoever is left to make the final arrangements when the time actually comes. There is a plethora of information that needs to be gathered and in short order once a death has occurred. There's even more decisions that have to be made; burial versus cremation, if cremation will remains be scattered, buried, kept on a shelf, if burial is there cemetery property, will military honors be rendered, where are those discharge papers again, do I want a religious service, will the service be at a church - synagogue - or at the funeral home, what do you mean you need the deceased's mother's maiden name, how about a register book and prayer cards for the visitation - there's only 175 verses to select from and about 35 different card variations, flowers, donations to where in lieu of flowers, will you have calling hours/viewing or just funeral service or possibly just a simple graveside service, and so so so many more things to consider all topped off with payment due by the date of service which is typically anywhere from 2 days to a week. That's a short amount of time to come up with $2000 to $12000 in this region for the wide range of most standard services from simple cremation to semi-elaborate burial.
Now I'm not trying to scare you here, just to be frank and make you think. Taking these steps allows you to price shop around, see the funeral home ahead of time, see if you fit with the philosophy of the director(s), if they'll adhere to your wishes etc. The days of just going to the same funeral home you used for great great gramma are over. You should go where everything seems to come together and "fit" the way you want. Where you're not pressured. Where you're comfortable. Don't let tradition trump the best service at the best price where you're offered the best protection just because it's always been done at that place. No funeral home should ever rest on their laurels because that's when things get lackadaisical and well, things get "cookie cutter" as everyone is in a rut doing everything the same just because no one wants to think independently or be creative in making a funeral as unique as the life lived.
With all this being said, I will let you know I'm preparing to write a series on pre-planning. Again, refer to my disclaimer in the right hand column. These views are my own but I am compelled to share them and give you as much information as possible because knowledge is power and I want all the readers of this blog to be empowered. No matter what funeral home you use, I want you to feel well served, protected and comfortable in your choices.
Be well and I'll return in a few days to provide more pointed information after you've had time to think about these things I've written of in this component of pre-arranging/pre-planning.
