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Planning your own funeral is a great idea for several reasons. It may seem morbid to some, but it is a part of the planning that we do all through life. We often plan our future by choosing a school and a career or job. We plan to buy a house. We plan our children. We plan our retirement. So why not plan your last goodbye to your loved ones? Your funeral is just one more thing that it makes sense to plan before you need it and plan it well.

The following are some reasons you should plan your own funeral.

1. You will save your loved ones the stress of planning your funeral while in the first stages of grief. Having been here a few times, I know how stressful it is to try to think of all the things that go into planning a funeral or memorial service. When my mother realized she would die of cancer within the year, she and I worked together to tie up loose ends and make sure her death did not cause undue stress for those left behind. She picked out a song she wanted and asked me if I would sing it for her. I don't know how, but I did it, and I know her mostly pre-planned funeral was a tribute to her life.

2. You can pre-pay, start a savings account or choose life insurance so that your loved ones will not be financially burdened when you're gone. While I disagree with the commercials that make it seem like someone is worse than an infidel if they leave the world without taking care of their finances first, I do agree that you should take care of it if you can. Our kids do have some responsibility to take care of us, but we really don't want to place undue burden on them when they are facing the grief of our death.

3. You can plan your funeral to go the way you like. There is a big difference in the way different people conduct funerals. For my family, funerals are often celebrations of the loved one 'going home'. Therefore, the type of funeral and the various components are important. I want a salvation message at my funeral, not a bland generic funeral sermon. My family knows this, so they will not have to guess at my wishes after I'm gone.

4. Knowing everything is prepared will give you peace of mind. If you have planned well, you don't even need to think about it again. You don't have to worry about being a "burden" or that your wishes will not be carried out.

5. You can imagine the response of your loved ones and friends as they attend the funeral you planned! I know my mother wanted to say goodbye in a special way. Fortunately, she had notice that her death was coming, so she was able to express her wishes and plan for costs and other things. Like Mom, we all know death is coming to us one day. We don't know when it will come, but we know it is inevitable. Preplanning costs you little but the rewards lie in your peace of mind and the memories you leave with your survivors.

Pre-planning your own funeral is a good way to say goodbye to your loved ones and leave them feeling at peace too. Yes, they will grieve, but your funeral can also be a comfort to them. It is your last message to the world, and therefore should contain the things you want to say about your life and the memories you want to leave.

Learn more about this author, Angela S. Young.
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