By Gail Rubin
Funeral directors hear it all the time: “Oh, it’s too soon for me to preplan my funeral.” The common refrain: “It’s always too soon, until it’s too late.”
Think about this: funerals are a life cycle event much like a wedding, best planned more than a few days ahead of time. They have the same elements of party planning as any other get-together.
You decide on a date, time and place, work with clergy or a celebrant, extend invitations to guests, plan what will be said, construct a menu, and incorporate unique features to make the occasion meaningful. But funerals are the parties no one wants to plan.
If brides and grooms planned their weddings the way most people plan their funerals, they’d be scrambling to pull all elements together in three to five days. Talk about stress!
A funeral is a life cycle event that every family will undertake for every member at some point. With advance planning, organization and communication, families can minimize the emotional and financial chaos that often takes hold when someone dies.
It’s never too soon to plan ahead when you’ve got a 100% mortality rate and tomorrow is not guaranteed.