Thinking about death is not something anyone wants to do. The mere thought of ever losing a loved one immediately fills you with a deep sadness. You have likely lost someone close to you before and know how much it entails emotionally and monetarily.
Once someone leaves this world, many things have to be handled. The most obvious is how you will celebrate their life and what will be done with their physical body. Do they want to be buried, cremated, or have a natural burial? If this happened suddenly, they might have never discussed their desires with anyone.
Soon you will have to figure out what to do with all the possessions and potential debt they left behind. Who do they want to have their prized possessions? Does anyone know? They may not have ever thought to create a will. Determining what to do with possessions without a will can be extremely difficult, especially in the midst of an emotional time.
What family do they have left? Do they have young children or pets? Who gets custody of these? If there is no set plan, this can become a very stressful family decision. Everyone will have an opinion, and you can no longer ask the person whose opinion should matter most.
This makes an already stressful time even more stressful and can end up causing a lot of pain and division between loved ones.
Make a Plan For When You Are Gone
This is what makes end-of-life planning so important. It is the only way to make sure your wishes are fulfilled. It is one last way you can show your loved ones you care by not making them make all of these decisions while grieving. As you know, losing a loved one is hard, and having to make all those plans just makes it more difficult.
You are probably thinking, “This is something I need to do, but how do I even start?” It can be overwhelming trying to make an end-of-life plan; there are so many factors to take into account. Some companies can help walk you through all the steps of planning. One company is website-based and only a click away. Lantern comes highly rated and has been assisting people to digitally make end-of-life plans since 2018.
Lantern’s unique and inventive program walks you through the whole process. It is very detailed and makes sure you do not miss anything. There are several steps in the process that many people never think about unless they have personally faced the scenario. The program will help you leave instructions on what to do if you are on life support, or if you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops.
Lantern is also a great resource if you lose a loved one and they did not have a plan. They can walk you through all the steps of handling the process of their services and memorials. They offer options for setting up a virtual memorial that is excellent for loved ones who may not travel for a ceremony. They also offer sympathy gifts to send when you know someone who has lost a loved one.
In conclusion, losing a loved one is difficult and heartbreaking. Discussing what you want to be done in advance can be awkward, but that awkwardness is worth knowing you will not leave the burden and stress on your loved ones. Your passing will be hard enough; the last thing you want is them worrying about how you would like things to be handled. This can cause them more grief as they worry that you are not happy with their choices. Give your loved ones one last gift and make sure you have an end-of-life plan.
