My Funeral

A few weeks ago I ran the sound for the funeral of a man from our church. His name was George and George was a great guy. Many stories were shared about George and his passions, favorite hobbies, and family. It got me wondering what my funeral is going to be like when I pass away. I thought about which stories my family would share. I imagined what the mood would be – festive or somber? I wondered what memories have been formed by people about me that would be shared?

How often do we think about the end? Chances are not much. We get caught up in the day to day grind of work, family, and life in general. For those that read "7 Habits" by Stephen Covey, you will remember that Habit #2 is to begin with the end in mind. Why is this important?
If we can identify what is important to us at the end of our time on earth, then we have uncovered those things that we should be working for in our day to day life. If I want my wife and kids to have great memories of me, then I better be proactive in creating great memories.
How do we get started? What questions do we need to answer? Begin by planning your funeral now! Meet with your pastor or a funeral director and begin planning your funeral immediately. This simple exercise will force you to think about the end of your life. Here are some reasons why this is important:

1. The number one reason is too alleviate the burden from your wife and kids during their grieving process.
2. What mile markers can be shared in your obituary? Are they positive? Negative? As long as you are alive you have the opportunity to create them. Mile markers are significant events that happened in your life.
3. What memories do you what your family and friends to have? If you struggle with this then your family and friends probably will too. Begin to plan "memory making events" with your family. Plan trips, take pictures, play together as a family, etc.
4. Who will participate in your funeral? If these people are going to be communicating your life to others, then you better be close to them now!

After you plan your funeral, continue to update it as you get older. Depending on your age you may want to revisit it every 5-10 years and for some even more frequently.
Question: "How do you want to be remembered and what are you going to do about it?"