Exploring The Burial Plot Selection Process

Posted on: 27 July 2016

No matter how old you are or what the state of your health is, it's important to discuss death with your spouse. The inevitable happens to everyone at some point, and it's important for any married couple to be knowledgeable about each another's final wishes. Here's how to get the conversation started with your spouse.

Speak from the Heart

This is an emotional topic, and there's no point in even trying to keep the conversation casual. When bringing up the topic, speak from the heart. Explain your emotional reasons for wanting to plan your future funeral service and why you think it's important that you both make final plans. As long as you are coming from a sincere place and speaking with your heart, your spouse will likely connect with your reasoning and be happy to cooperate with what needs to be done.

Approach the Topic with Patience

Some people are excited about the idea of making final plans because it means that they have control of what their funeral service will be like. They may even like being able to imagine it because of all the attention that would be placed on them. On the other hand, some people get terrified to even discuss a funeral. Be patient with however your spouse responds emotionally and patiently try to keep the discussion on track.

Make an Appointment

While spontaneous discussion is good, some people will prefer to prepare themselves for such a discussion. It's okay to open the conversation by explaining why you want to discuss a future funeral service and final plans. Let your spouse know the sort of things that you both need to consider, then schedule to have a talk about it later in the week. A planned discussion where the person comes armed with information they need may help things progress more effectively.

When You Shouldn't Discuss a Future Funeral

Sometimes it can be frustrating to try to find a "perfect" time to have a talk about death with your spouse. You may want to just bring it up as soon as possible and forget the niceties of discussing a delicate topic. However, there are some situations and times when you should not bring up final plans with your spouse. Here are a couple:

• Do not bring up the importance of making plans shortly after a diagnosis of a terminal illness. While this may be the exact time that you want to make sure that you have things in order, it can be too tough for someone in that emotional crisis to handle. Instead, wait for the person to bring it up in such a situation.
• Never try to discuss final plans with your spouse when there is friction or fighting between you two. This discussion requires you both to be extremely vulnerable, and it's a discussion that's best left to when you can both relax around one another.

Finally, keep in mind that this is going to be a difficult topic to discuss no matter how close you are to your spouse. Give each other permission to get emotional during the talk and have ongoing discussions about it. You need to talk about the topic a few times before finalizing your plans and putting the matter behind you until it's needed in what is hopefully the very far-off future.

Contact a business like Michels & Lundquist Funeral Home for more help.