Funeral Planning Essay

The article, “10 Burdens Funeral Directors Carry”, written by Caleb Wilde expresses the unique struggles of those working the funeral business. They face numerous challenges through trying to aid and support those mourning a loved one. This often over looked and underappreciated field offers a salient as well as specific service desperately needed by each community. By encountering: depression, psychosis, isolation, stress, workaholism and death itself funeral directors make numerous personal sacrifices to continue to provide honor and respect to the dead.

Some cultures are traditional and want to bury love ones in a traditional way. However, younger generations are more creative in the way they bury loved ones. For example, sea lovers may have their ashes put into an eternal reef and put into the sea. A positive spin is being put on funerals and now being called “celebrations of life”. The death rate is low right now but as baby boomers get older the death rate will rise, and the funeral service industry will see a big boost.

Unlike most communities or religions, the Amish choose to make arrangements with the funeral home then and there. The arrangements are made regardless of the hour of death. Generally, English funeral arrangements take hours for the funeral director to explain the choices and customization of an English funeral. When in an arrangement for an Amish funeral, the family and clergy will be informing the funeral director about the traditions and customs that MUST be followed. Most Amish families will handle informing the cemetery, ordering and paying for the coffin, and ordering the rough box (The Amish equivalent of a vault or outer burial liner). (Beerman,

Being a funeral director takes having a strong stomach and skill dealing with grief. There are many different ways people mourn. Religions have different rites as well as celebration of someone’s life. Every culture and civilization has three common threads dealing with death and their final internment. There are three main steps when someone dies. First is the preparation of the body, then some type of ceremony, and finally internment.

Mankind’s history of burial practices and funeral customs are as old as civilization itself. There is no specific way to planning a funeral. Every civilization and culture has provided for their dead in different ways. Religion and personal beliefs play an important role in the burial practices and funeral customs of a given culture or civilization. Furthermore, each civilization and cultured ever studied have three things in common: some type of funeral rites, rituals, and ceremonies; A sacred place for the dead; and memorialization of the dead. As far back as the time of Christ, burials have been noted to take place. In time burial and funeral customs have become very distinct, interesting and

A funeral director is a person who handles and cares for the remains of a deceased person. They provide the space for the Memorial Services to be held, arrange for the necessary permits such as death certificates, cremation authorizations, while they are preparing the deceased for final disposition. Funeral directors can also be referred to as

Painful as it may be, such experiences brings home the finality of death. Something deep within us demands a confrontation with death. A last look assures us that the person we loved is, indeed, gone forever.” (108) Cable finishes his essay by asking, Tim if his job ever depressed him. Tim in reply says, “No it doesn’t, and I do what I can for people and take satisfaction in enabling relatives to see their loved ones as they were in real life.” (108) After reading this essay I feel as though sometimes we don’t understand death so therefore we do not talk much about it. By reading about what goes on after your loved one dies and is sent to these places to be prepared and ready for burial, it helps to understand why morticians and funeral directors do what they do. Knowing that someone enjoys taking the responsibility in providing that comfort in a sorrowful time makes me appreciate these people in these occupations a bit

According to Cannon-Cleveland Funeral Directors in McDonough, the most common pre-funeral services are viewings, wakes, and visitations.

Once death is pronounced, many Modern Americans begin preparing for the funeral. A blog on decorativeurns.com states that the actual funeral can take place between three to seven days after death (“When to Schedule”). Jewish traditions differ from Modern Americans at this point. Maurice

The idea behind a living funeral is to accept the fact that death is approaching. After someone can accept that fact then the idea of having a living funeral comes into play. Wondering about what others think about your before you pass is a normal thing. Not many people have

I have always understood that life is uncertain, and what lies beyond our peripheral field of vision cannot be predicted fully. Regardless, it is still necessary for us to try our best to prepare ourselves for the future, leading me to incessantly plan for the worst-case scenario. It is never too early to be prepared, regardless whether it is useful or not, and I believed that I was prepared. Or so I thought. However, no amount of imagination and planning could possibly prepare a person for the process of loss and grief.

My father was in and out of hospitals and sometimes the hospital my father was in was far from where we lived. When my father passed the funeral process was a hassle and became a financial strain on family.

In pursuing this further, there are several aspects to this topic; such as, preplanning, financial planning, cost, and the surviving family members. Funeral planning is something we all will have to do at one point in our lives, but where should we begin? It is a good idea to start with the preplanning of the funeral. Preplanning is crucial; it provides piece of mind, especially for surviving family. As said earlier, discussing one 's mortality is an extremely uncomfortable topic; however, by preplanning a funeral, it will relieve the family of having to make important decisions during a period of immense stress and grief. Furthermore, preplanning gives time to explore the options for a ceremony and allows time to discuss the financial aspects. It also gives a chance to choose a funeral home that best suit ones needs and budget.

While grave sites are a place to visit during times of mourning, cremation allows you the same outlet to express your grief wherever you have some cremains in your possession. Many people will place flowers or other memorabilia next to their beloved ones cremains during times of mourning. This is especially helpful to ones emotions as we live in such a transient society where visiting a grave site is not always possible.

It is always difficult to experience the loss of loved ones. Sometimes your whole life gets affected. I do care about the funeral ceremony. Funeral ceremonies and choosing a great casket is more like an honor to people with whom we spend most of our lives. By doing a meaningful funeral, we can support our family when they really need someone to share grief. It creates an essence of belongingness and love for the person, who is no more.