An older friend recently bemoaned the new automatic toilets
installed at the airport. “I’m beginning
to think that there is no part of my destiny I can control!” She muttered.
And while that is true for much of our experience on this
earth, and even our exit from it, there are some places where our pro active
influence can make a difference. Planning end of life arrangements is a certain
way to make your final statement. Sadly,
most of time this position is abdicated by ignoring its definite reality.
We will all die sometime.
And for most, that moment will come upon us as a surprise, leaving our
loved ones to scramble in their shock and grief trying to “put words in our
lifeless mouths” to capture the essence of a last goodbye. A funeral or memorial service should be a
farewell that gives all involved the ability to convey their hearts.
This is especially true of the deceased--not through some
eerie seance-- but by thoughtful advanced planning which has put in place
expressed thoughts and desires which can be carried out at death.
“You only get one shot at a funeral,” the sound technician
from a large church quipped, having provided his expertise for hundreds of
services over the years, and having witnessed more than he preferred to count
done poorly.
The characteristics of the average funeral: a very short
schedule under extreme duress, participants who must reschedule their calendar,
obtain travel arrangements, and plan a ceremony sensitive to other family
members, coordinating with a funeral home and local congregation create
challenges that require the expertise of an air traffic controller to run
smoothly. So it should be no surprise
that invited speakers are overlooked, musicians miss their cue and family
members and friends not properly seated carry hurt feelings long past the
probate of the will.
How different this scenario is when a plan has been put in
place that addresses these issues ahead of time. Sid Holmgren, a very quick and
clever 92 year young friend announced to her children recently “I want to be in
control of my funeral.” And she wisely is
taking steps to do just that.
How do you guarantee your final goodbye accurately translates
your life message?
Bonjour MyGoodbye, giving individuals the tools and resources
to craft their farewell their way.
To discover how you can plan for your loved one's Goodbye of a lifetime, find us at www.MyGoodbye.com
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