We’re a culture of planners, list-makers, and vision-board-designers. Each generation encourages its children to dream, aspire, and prepare for the future. Some people start planning their weddings before they meet their partners, or even before they’re old enough to date. And no one finds anything unusual about planning ahead for birthday parties or anniversary celebrations.
So why doesn’t funeral preplanning get the same treatment?
Your funeral is one of the most significant moments of your life, even if you’re not there to see it. It’s the culmination of your time on the earth and a last chance for friends and family to say goodbye. Doesn’t it make sense to prepare for it so that your loved ones aren’t left with the burden of planning?
We’ve heard a lot of reasons over the years why people haven’t preplanned their funerals. But we’ve never met anyone who regretted it once it was finished. Below are a few of the most common objections to preplanning, and the reasons why it’s worth doing anyway.
I Don’t Want Anyone Making a Fuss
Preplanning your funeral isn’t fussy. It’s not you being overly particular or needing to be in control. It can simply be a way to make things easier on your loved ones. Funerals and memorial services help families heal after a loss, so having the arrangements preplanned allows them to focus on their grief rather than event planning.
Your preplanning arrangements don’t need to be fancy or ornate. If you want a simple funeral, you can plan it to be.
In fact, planning in advance can save your loved ones money. Without guidance, your family may feel pressured to spend more or hold a more elaborate service than you really wanted, just because they don’t know what else to do.
Thinking About My Funeral is Too Uncomfortable
It’s never fun to think about a future without you in it. But we all must face the cycle of life and death at some point, and it’s not morbid to plan for the future. Quite the opposite. Planning for what happens after you’re gone can be a beautiful meditation on your life and what you hold dear, and a gift to future generations.
Preplanning your funeral is just as important as making an estate plan or setting money aside for retirement. It may be uncomfortable to think about these things, but once your plan is in place you can relax knowing that you’ve relieved your loved ones of a future burden.
I’ll Get to It Later
Some people associate funeral planning with terminal illness. And while that is a very good reason to put your affairs in order, you don’t have to wait for circumstances to be dire to think about your funeral. It’s never too early to begin planning.
When you plan in advance, you can make payment arrangements and lock in your funeral costs to protect against future price increases and inflation. You also get the task out of the way so that you don’t have to think about it later, when you may have other things on your mind. Funeral planning is always easiest when you’re clear-headed rather than in the midst of an emotional time.
If you change your mind in the future, your plan can always be updated or even transferred to a different funeral home. If not, you have one less thing to worry about.
The preplanning specialists at Chapman Funerals & Cremations are here to make planning as simple as possible. You can start planning online, or reach out to any of our Massachusetts locations to begin.