You know how important it is to preplan your Walnut Creek, CA cremation, but do you also know that you should talk to your family and loved ones about your plans? As necessary as this conversation is, it can also be very difficult. Loved ones don’t want to think about losing you, much less talk about the details of your cremation.
As hard as it is to talk about preplanning, your family will appreciate it in the long run. If you’re ready to start preplanning for your cremation, but aren’t quite sure how to breach the subject with your loved ones, use the following tips to help:
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. 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.
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.
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.
Stay Strong: While its 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 preplanning will give everyone peace of mind.
If you would like more assistance with preplanning a cremation in Walnut Creek, CA, Deer Creek Funeral Service can help. Please visit us at 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546, or give us a call at (510) 317-7890.