The order is rapidly fading
And the first one now will later be last
Cause the times they are a-changing.
Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changing”
The times are “a-changing” indeed. While I cannot say that it is always for the better, it is ironic that the one thing that is constant is change. Even funeral service, which from the outside is a bastion of tradition and ritual, experiences change. One way that is evident is in payment. Funerals, like most other business, used to be done on a handshake and understanding of settling up after business was concluded. Like most other business today, however, funerals have changed and knowing this can save you and your family a lot of stress.
Have you ever known someone, maybe even yourself, who runs so habitually late you swear they will be late for their own funeral? Ironically enough, I had experience with just that case. A family called me and asked if I could help them. Their mother had died recently and they had contacted another funeral home. They had made all the arrangements published them in the newspaper and online. Unfortunately, the day the visitation was to begin, there was an issue in providing full payment to the funeral home for their services. Without payment, everything was going to be put on hold and mourners would be turned away at the door. The family had called me wondering if I could take over the process or even accept a life insurance policy to provide them the money they needed. Unfortunately, I could not provide such assistance on such short notice and keep the original schedule.
Thankful for my attempts to assist and for my answers to their questions, the family kept in touch. Ultimately, the other funeral home finished handling all the arrangements. The deceased was buried, but it was days later than planned. In addition to some family and friends, even the minister could not make the rescheduled funeral date and another celebrant was found. The fresh flowers were now days old. The food, gathered for the meal after the service, was no longer good. Compared to the originally planned service, the deceased was late for their own funeral.
Don’t leave it to your family to figure out how to pay for your funeral and don’t excuse it away as saying it won’t matter to you because you won’t be here. Give me a call or stop by Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home. Let me answer your questions and show you how easy it can be. Then, as you enjoy living, laughing and loving, you can do so assured that you won’t be late for your own funeral.
