Tips for Talking About Funeral Preplanning

Almost everyone is aware of how important it is to preplan for services at funeral homes in Greenville, MI. However, no one ever really stops to think about how hard it can be to talk about your preplanning with family and loved ones. It’s not surprising as our loved ones don’t want to think about losing us, much less talk about the details of our funerals. However, this difficulty doesn’t make the conversation any less important.
While discussing your death with your loved ones is never going to be a walk in the park, it’s always worth it as the discussion will help create a firm plan without added stress. If you’re ready to start preplanning for your funeral but aren’t quite sure how to breach the subject with your loved ones, use the following tips about talking to your family about preplanning to make the process easier.
- Get Ready for Emotions: While you’ve already had some time to process the idea of your own passing, your family probably hasn’t. The people you love will need some time to deal with the loss, anger or denial that comes with talking and thinking about your probable, eventual or impending death and loss. They might get upset with you, deny the necessity of the conversation, or be just plain sad at the idea of losing you. If things get too emotional, take a break and continue the conversation once everyone has calmed down a bit.
- Know What You Want – Don’t try and talk to your family about your post-death wishes until you know what they are. Take time before you bring up the subject to research, think about and decide precisely what you want out of your funeral. What kind of service do you want? Viewing or visitation? Do you want a burial or cremation? What’s the budget? The more you come up with a plan and an idea for what you want the better you’ll be able to express your concrete wishes to your family.
- Stay Strong: While it’s important to listen to what your family has to say about your final wishes, it’s still mostly your decision at the end of the day. Don’t be afraid to be firm about what you want and stand up for decisions that are important to you. Once you’ve come to a decision everyone can be happy with, it’s a great idea to have a legal document drawn up with all the details so there are no questions after you’re gone.
- Listen and Answer: Even though your final wishes are ultimately your decision and all about what you want, your loved ones will still want to have some input. Be ready to listen to their concerns and to answer any questions they might have. If you don’t have the answer right away, take the time you need to come up with one.
Your family will appreciate a discussion about your preplanning decisions in the long run. Do you have questions about preplanning or Greenville, MI funeral homes? Reach out to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care buy visiting 3627 Linden Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49548 United States, or calling (616) 452-3006.