Talk to Your Family About Advanced Funeral Planning

Most people have heard by now how important it is to preplan for funeral services in funeral homes in Marietta, GA. However, no one ever really talks about how hard it can be to talk about your advanced funeral planning with your loved ones.

That discomfort doesn’t make the conversation any less important to have. As hard as it is to talk about advanced funeral planning, your family will appreciate it in the long run. 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 for talking to your family about preplanning.

• 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.
• Get Ready for High Emotions: While you’ve taken time to plan and get used to the idea of your own passing, your family and loved one’s most likely have not. The people you love will need some time to process all the emotions associated with your probable, eventual or impending death and loss. They might get angry with you, experience denial about the conversation’s necessity, 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? Do you want a burial or cremation? Viewing or visitation? What’s the budget? Once you know the answer to those questions, you’ll be better 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.

While discussing your death with your loved ones will never be easy, it’s always worth it because advanced funeral planning will give everyone peace of mind. If you want to learn more, just reach out to Davis-Struempf Funeral Home & Crematory, a Marietta, GA funeral home. You can find us on the web, visit us or give us a call for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.