Now that 2019 is coming to an end, many of you will be making New Year’s Resolutions. While there are plenty of common ones out there – eating healthier, getting fitter or starting a new hobby, there are some practical resolutions you may not have thought of.
As we get older, our priorities change. As much as we don’t want to think about the end of our lives, it’s important to plan and make responsible decisions so that our living relatives aren’t burdened with them.
For this reason, we recommend a set of alternative resolutions to help ease the pain when the time comes.
New Year’s Resolutions to Consider
1. Make or update your will
Your will is one of the most important legal documents you will ever have. It dictates what will happen to your estate. Without a will, your loved ones will have to go to the courts for direction on how your assets will be divided. When you have a will, you decide what will happen to your wealth and possessions after you pass.
If you already have a will, but haven’t reviewed it in a while, consider making an appointment with a lawyer to go over it. You can make changes, as your situation may have changed since you last updated it.
2. Pre-plan your funeral
At Chapel Ridge Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, we help many of our clients pre-arrange their funeral. It’s a very common practice these days – and one you shouldn’t be afraid of. While thinking about your own death might be grim, the positives outweigh the negatives.
For starters, you pay upfront for it. This means you pay today’s prices for an event that will take place in the future. Also, you will ease the burden on your loved ones, since they won’t have to guess what you would have wanted.
3. Talk to loved ones about your wishes
In addition to pre-planning your funeral in the new year, you should also make a point of sitting down with your family to discuss your wishes.
You can discuss your pre-arrangements, how you want to be buried and other thoughts and beliefs on the matter. It’s important to have an open dialogue with your family.
4. Purchase a burial plot
If you don’t already have a burial plot, consider where you would like your final resting place to be. Do you want a traditional underground burial in a cemetery? Do you want your ashes scattered? Do you want your cremains interred in a wall? Many of these need to be purchased, so it’s practical to do it in advance. If you want a family plot, you will have to purchase enough space for everyone.
5. Enjoy life to the fullest
While thinking about what you want done when you die is important, but don’t lose sight of what matters most – enjoying life in the present. Don’t dwell on the past or be wary of the future – just live life to the fullest. No one regrets enjoying life – so make 2020 a year where you thrive.
Happy New Year from all of us at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home and Cremation Centre in Markham