5 More Reasons to Not Have a Traditional Funeral
By M. Kotch
No matter who we are, whatever our race, sex or tax bracket, we all reach the end eventually. Death is a forgone conclusion to life, but how we choose to mark the occasion doesn’t have to be. Many hope for a traditional funeral and long to be remembered in the same fashion as loved ones before them. But if a conventional memorial has never appealed to you, here are five reasons to not have a traditional funeral.
1. Save your loved ones a huge expense.
According to recent statistics, the average funeral in this country costs about $8,000. While closure, not to mention a chance to say farewell, is very important, that does not mean that a memorial has to follow the customary course of funeral home service and casket burial followed by refreshments. By skipping the funeral home altogether, or choosing a non-traditional burial method, you may be able to save your loved ones thousands of dollars in location fees, food and drink expenses and even the cost of a burial outfit.
2. You never conformed to tradition before. Why start now?
If you’ve always lived your life on your terms, consider your memorial a chance to express yourself one last time. In lieu of a traditional service, ask your friends and family to visit your special beach, hike your favorite trail or stand before a beloved painting at a museum. Have you always loved stargazing? Your ashes can now be launched into outer space. Love the ocean? Your remains can become part of a coral reef. Your funeral should be an extension of your life; loved ones will feel closer to you by experiencing what often made you happy.
3. You have the power to turn a sad occasion into a celebration of your life.
Saying goodbye for the last time is heartbreaking, so take this opportunity to turn an ending into a new beginning. In your will, ask mourners to gather at a much loved-watering hole or restaurant, order your usual and listen to your favorite music instead of meeting for a traditional daytime service. Know that by turning a solemn occasion into a less formal, social gathering where everyone can talk, laugh and cry you’ll be facilitating closure and a sense that it’s ok to move on.
4. Go green by minimizing your “funeral footprint.”
Every year, the dead are buried along with millions of tons of embalming fluid, steel and concrete. Include environmentally-friendly requests in your last will. Cremation is one alternative (though it still requires burning fossil fuels), as is the use of a biodegradable casket. Other ways to go green can include mourners planting trees and flowers instead of sending them.
5. Use this occasion to benefit others.
If you’ve included a donation to your favorite charity or cause in your estate, why not use your funeral as an occasion to bring attention to it? In addition to a final letter you may have written (to be read to your loved ones), include a note about what participating in a charity walk or volunteering at an animal shelter has meant to you. Your example may inspire friends and family to give back to something you hold dear and carry on your legacy in a positive and generous way.
Sources: http://www.nfda.org and http://www.greenburialcouncil.org
