46 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 29, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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coping with death
4 Key Decisions to Help Memorialize a Loved One
Despite the certainty of death, many
Americans delay dealing with the fact and
avoid funeral planning.
In fact, nearly 3 in 5 Americans aren’t
confi dent they could plan a funeral
for themselves, let alone a loved one,
according to a survey conducted by
RememberingALife.com, which was created
by the National Funeral Directors
Association to empower families in their
funeral planning, help them understand
memorialization options and support
them as they navigate their grief aft er a
death.
One of the main challenges in planning
a funeral for a loved one is ensuring
the service captures the person’s life and
memories. However, according to the survey,
just 41.2% of respondents know the
deceased’s preferences for a funeral, burial
or cremation, and 26.5% have not discussed
their preferences with loved ones,
though they do feel confi dent their family
and friends would plan an appropriate
funeral or memorial service for them.
To kickstart the planning process, consider
discussing these decisions with your
loved ones:
1. Cremation or Burial: Despite the
growing popularity of cremation, burial
is still important to many families. Th ere
are many factors that go into this decision,
such as religion, environmental factors,
cost and more.
2. Service Options: Regardless of a preference
for cremation or burial, how a
family pays tribute to its loved one is also
important. Th ere are a variety of ways a
funeral, memorial service or celebration
of life can refl ect the life of the person who
died, such as through pictures, location of
the service, music and more.
3. Eulogy: One of the most impactful
parts of the service can be the eulogy.
Th ink about who knows you best and
would be comfortable speaking. Some
choose to write their own eulogy. Either
way, eulogies can provide closure and
honor a life.
4. Aft er the Service: While services are
an opportunity for loved ones to grieve
and heal together, it’s important to consider
how to keep memories alive, such
as by planting a tree, scattering cremated
remains in a special location or visiting
a gravesite. Any of these options can
help a family continue to pay tribute to
the deceased.
To fi nd more information about how
a funeral director can help plan a meaningful
service and resources to help you
understand your own and others’ grief
and loss, visit RememberingALife.com.
Courtesy Family Features
Coping With D eath spons ored by :
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