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Greetings Family and Friends,
The month of August brings a time for a family with children to prepare for the new school year. By now the list of items and tools needed for kids to have a successful year has been sent to the parents and the hunt begins for computers, clothes, folders, and so on.
We spend time with family preparing. We prepare for college, weddings, the purchase of a home, purchasing transportation, and setting a family budget. But we do not prepare for the inevitable, the “D” word. Dying…
I always hear, that my spouse knows what I want when in fact, at the time of death, the only thing your spouse thinks of is the loss, or my kids can decide. No, your kids do not want to decide as they have just lost a parent.
The days of the typical service are changing. We are holding services at the homes, in gardens, on beaches, in the barn, or in any other favorite place that is comfortable for those attending.
Cremation or burial, the choice is yours, not your spouse, not your children, not extended family or friends, yours!
You can spend 30 to 45 minutes with us now or an hour or two hours with us at the time of death trying to remember the answers to all the questions we need. There are 35-50 different questions that need to be answered. Quite frankly, who wants to conduct business on the hardest day of our lives?
It is your responsibility to prepare and being a death-defying society, it is the last thing we want to talk about. Because if we do, we will die sooner! No, you will not die sooner, however, you can check that off your “to-do” list.
You have lived your life in a certain manner and your death should reflect the same.
During the height of Covid the one thing that prolonged the grief process was not being able to have and/or attend a service for a loved one or friend. A celebration of life service gives friends and family time to gather and say - I am here for you. It is a time to share memories, a time of laughter, and most importantly - a time to heal.
The pain of loss does not go away, it gets softer with time. Preplanning is a painless process and we can meet and plan your celebration of life anywhere you are comfortable. At your home, our funeral home, or in some cases at the Elusive Grape! You can even log on to our website at www.lankfordfuneralhome.com and plan it all by yourself at home! There is a section for biographical information online that you can fill out and submit to us without even a phone call. At least it is a start. And yes, all the information should be completed on the form.
Download your FREE GET ORGANIZED - You're worth it, so let's start by getting your wishes organized.
Another topic we need to think about is End of Life care. I heard Dr. Al Razzetti speak about this last week and the importance of having Advance Directives. These are the instructions for what happens if you are hospitalized or in a hospice facility. It is the designation of a health care surrogate and living will.
I talk to families every day about their end-of-life needs, and I can tell you it is always the same once we have finished - they are happy. They know what is going to happen, their family understands their wishes, and there is a deep sense of peace.
Allow me and my team to help you with this now - so we can plan a great celebration - the one you would want and most certainly deserve.
Download your FREE GET ORGANIZED - You're worth it, so let's start by getting your wishes organized.
Cheryl Lankford
Funeral Director
Lankford Funeral Home
