At the cemetery, there are a number of choices for families to make. First, they must determine whether they want the body or cremated remains to be interred in the ground or to be entombed above ground in a mausoleum or columbarium. Next, they have to inspect available property at the cemetery and chose a location. After selecting the memorial, the family has additional choices to make about lettering, borders and images on the plaque or stone, and all of these decisions have financial implications. Often in these planning meetings, I hear family members worry out loud whether they are making the right decisions.
Small details can be overwhelming.
Sometimes, there is conflict as siblings or relatives with varying opinions try to determine what is best. Since there are some significant economic factors to consider, family members can differ on how to proceed. I observe less of the anxiety in meetings with families where the arrangements have been made in consultation with the deceased prior to his or her death. We review the schedule, and perhaps visit the location that their loved one had chosen. With everything in place, these families seem better able to turn their energies toward taking care of each other's emotional needs.