If you died, would your loved ones know what to do, or would they have to struggle to sort things out? Some people think these discussions are morbid, but the fact is – unless the Lord returns first – we are all [i]eventually[/i] going to die. To spend a little bit of time making our wishes known is beneficial to those close to us (especially if/when they need this information).

I thought my dad already had a burial plot (because I have a copy of the deed for one in his name), but learned differently when my mom called a few weeks ago, commenting that if something happened to Dad, she wouldn’t know where to bury him. (Then she clarified that she really meant if Dad died, not just if something happened to him – as if we didn’t realize that’s what she meant! lol) Apparently the plot in Dad’s name is his mother’s.

So, if you died, would your loved ones know if you prefer to be buried or cremated, or have no preference? Would they know if there’s a particular cemetery you would want your body to be interred in (perhaps where other family lies)? Would they know if you desire to be an organ donor? If there are particular songs you want sung at your funeral/memorial service?

More importantly, how will these things be paid for? (Is there a burial policy, for example.) You don’t want your family to struggle financially because of your final arrangements! Does someone know who will care for your children, and how? (Hubby just mentioned on Sunday that he wouldn’t know what to do about the baby’s feeding if I died. Guess I need to get on that “what if” file I talked about a while back.)

As for me, I have no burial preference; whatever costs the least is fine with me, as I will no longer need my body! Cremation is fine (in a plain wooden box -a box is apparently required for health reasons), or even donation to science, if that is free of charge. I prefer to donate any usable organs – might as well pass on what I no longer have use for. I have no desire for insanely-priced flowers or anything of that nature to memorialize me; my death should not cost my family anything further than the loss of me, myself. Making sure my family knows all this will leave them free, if I should, indeed, meet my demise, to save themselves these cultural expenses and not feel guilty.
We certainly don’t want to devote our lives to considering our death! But a few minutes to be sure that we and our families are prepared can give us a peace in ignoring the subject afterward.