Writing wishes ahead
Wishes can be written ahead for a funeral or cremation. You can begin with the service you would want, then add whether a gathering should come first. Give each part its own sentence.
A note is the starting point with Direct Funeral Service and Cremation Memorial Chapel. When you are writing ahead, say that the wishes concern the future. The sections below offer a way to arrange the note around the service, the gathering, and the questions you want to raise.
Start by saying you are writing ahead
Put the purpose of the note near the beginning. “I am writing wishes ahead” is a simple opening. Follow it with the service you are considering: a funeral or cremation.
Use wording that reflects your thinking. “I would want a funeral” states a wish. “I am considering cremation and have questions about a gathering” introduces something you want to discuss. The note can make that difference clear without adding an explanation of every thought behind it.
Write the service and gathering as separate wishes
A gathering can come before cremation. If that is what you would want, give it a sentence of its own. A note that says “I would want cremation” can then continue, “I would like a gathering beforehand.”
For a funeral, you can begin by naming that service and adding the wishes you want to share about the gathering. A burial path can be part of the funeral when the family wants one. If that is a wish you want to discuss, put it into words alongside the request for a funeral.
Add words, music and customs
The service is non-denominational: it does not belong to one faith. Your family can choose the words and music, and bring the customs that fit. Wishes written ahead can include what you have in mind for those parts of a gathering.
Keep each wish clear enough to read on its own. You might make one paragraph about music and another about words or customs. If there is a question attached to a wish, write the question beside it. This gives both the wish and the question a place in the note.
Separate questions from descriptions
You may have a clear wish about one part and a question about another. The note can contain both. Label a short paragraph “Questions” to distinguish what you want from what you want to ask.
For example, the opening can state that you are considering cremation with a gathering beforehand. A later paragraph can hold the questions you want to raise about the gathering. You can read the two together to check that the note describes the same wish throughout.
Read the note back in your own words
Before using the contact page, read what you have written. Check that it says you are writing ahead, names the service you are considering, and includes a gathering if you would want one. Look for any wish that you have only implied and would rather state plainly.
You can shorten a sentence that does too much by splitting it into a wish and a question. You can also bring related wishes together under a short heading. The aim is a note you can read and recognize as what you wanted to say, using your own words.
Put the wishes you have into a first note
Begin with the service and whether you would want a gathering first. Add your wishes about words, music or customs, then the questions you want to raise. If another family introduced you, write that family name in the note.
Write your note