Have the Talk of a Lifetime
Share the stories that matter most to you and your loved ones with the Have the Talk of a Lifetime program. Have the Talk of a Lifetime was designed to help families share meaningful memories and stories with each other. By framing the discussion around a person’s life story and experiences, we get the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with them.
Asking questions such as “What was it like when you graduated from high school? What did your wedding ceremony look like? Who were your best childhood friends growing up? How did you spend your summers when school was out?” are creative questions that help start these important conversations.
Our funeral home is pleased to offer the Have the Talk of a Lifetime brochures and workbooks. These resources help family members thoughtfully share stories, remember what is important to loved ones, and plan a meaningful, personalized memorial in a sensitive and encouraging manner.
Below are some links to free resources that you can download and use to start having meaningful conversations with those you love:
Have the Talk of a Lifetime is an outreach program and is sponsored by the Funeral and Memorial Information Council.
How To Start The Conversation
You could be encouraging a loved one to preplan. Or you could want to broach the topic of your own plans with your family. In either case, it’s all about approaching the topic with confidence and care. Don’t be surprised if discussing final wishes brings up strong emotions. Just reinforce that you’re doing this out of love, to make things easier in the future.
Questions and answers.
Your family is everything. So the last thing you’d want is to put them in a difficult position. A time of loss is a time of confusion, but your final arrangements don’t have to add to the uncertainty. preplanning your funeral services can save your loved ones from having to make decisions while they’re grieving. And they won’t have to guess what you’d want. Making prearrangements is the financially and emotionally thing to do. Instead of getting bogged down in details, your family will be able to focus on celebrating your life.
- Why are you considering preplanning?
- How would you like your family to be involved in the process?
- Now that we know your wishes, what should we do next?
- Does this mean you anticipate needing a funeral soon?
Conversation starters.
Here are a few common reasons people preplan. These benefits could help guide your conversation.
- Even if it’s far into the future, you’ll assure that a difficult time is less stressful for your loved ones.
- When everything is determined in advance, families can focus on celebrating life, knowing that last wishes are perfectly fulfilled.
- Planning a funeral can require over 150 decisions, and making those choices now, together, can be an experience that brings families closer.
- Some people go so far as to prepay, and this is a gift to loved ones, because funerals often come at unexpected times. This act unburdens family members from what can be a sudden expense.