[Magdalen] Planning ahead (was Re: Funeral Service at Saint Martin's, Houston.)

[ME Michaud]

A year before my mother died,
she nearly died.

While she was recovering we had Thanksgiving dinner in her hospital room.
We were sitting together, holding hands, watching the sun set and darkness
gather over the town she’d loved her whole life.

“Ma, if you’d died, would you have wanted to be cremated?”

“God, no! I’d have wanted to be buried down in the South Cemetery with my
parents.”

I’ll always be glad we had that short and incredibly precious conversation.
-M


On Sunday, April 22, 2018, Roger Stokes via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
>
> Not silly at all. Making your feelings and preferences known now will
> alleviate discussions and concerns at what I hope is a significantly
> distant date. I recall that I once had a letter published in the Church
> press when I disagreed with a bishop who disapproved of people saying what
> they wanted to happen at their funeral. As a (not very good) pastor I
> observed that this relieves the relatives of having to make difficult
> decisions at a time when they are in emotional turmoil and susceptible to
> any pressure from funeral directors.
>
> Roger
>