The Business of Dying

Posted by John Wells on 12:28 am. Filed under Careers & Employment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Fans of the original science fiction series, Star Trek, or any of the many sequels know that the last frontier refers to outer space. While that’s a great intro for the program and a rather romantic notion, is it accurate?

Isn’t the true final frontier one that most of us would rather not talk about and certainly do everything to avoid exploring? Isn’t it actually death? It doesn’t get much more final than that. Of course, any number of religions would argue the point about the finality of death but that’s a discussion for another day. Whether we want to or not, we will all make this particular voyage, and it only makes sense that we be as prepared for it as possible.

The most important steps that we can take are to make sure that we have a properly drawn-up and executed will, as well as legal, financial and medical directives in place. The are no end of horror stories surrounding families where those were left for another day. Having all of your affairs in order is one of the most responsible and loving gestures that you can make for those you leave behind.

Besides the paperwork, there is much that can be done to lessen the fear and trauma associated with dying. Having frank and open discussions about death with family and friends is an extremely bonding experience. Share your wishes about what happens after you pass on. Do you want a traditional funeral and burial or do you prefer the process of cremation and have some special requests for your memorial service?

Many families are taking advantage of the new options that are available. No longer are you limited to only what is offered by your local funeral home. Dozens of online casket stores have the ability to ship just about anything that is funeral related. Even though overnight delivery makes this type of shopping possible after someone has died, a lot of people are making their own selections ahead of time. This can take an immense burden off of loved ones.

Even in death, the choices are numerous. The only really bad one is not making any at all.


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