Blog Glob: "8 Steps to Prepare for Your Final Act"

Excerpt:

This year, about 2.5 million Americans will die. In rough numbers, that's nearly 50,000 a week—a lot of people, with viewings, religious observances, funerals, obituaries, estates, family reunions, and a host of related decisions and encounters. In many households, this time can be made even more difficult by one's failure to plan for death and to involve family members in the process. Relatives may even reject efforts to engage in such a discussion. It's uncomfortable, it can be emotionally painful, and it can often expose family fault lines that fracture easily.

Yet, as with many important decisions, it is a mistake to wait until the last minute to deal with your final wishes. "We all know we're going to die. We just don't believe it," says Kurt Soffe, whose family has been in the funeral home business in Utah since 1915. Here are several steps and questions to help you prepare.

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With all due respect to the loved ones and friends you leave behind, it's your life, and the way you want to recognize the end of your life is up to you. By having a plan that thoughtfully reflects your wishes, you'll not only do this but also lift a lot of stress and worry from the loved ones you leave behind. That's not a bad final gift for you to make.

Click to read the rest of "8 Steps to Prepare for Your Final Act" (U.S. News & World Report).