Yes it’s late January and reportedly 80% of us have already thrown in the towel on our New Years’ resolutions. Yep, that’s why I’ve given them up completely and instead opted for the 20 for 2020 approach. I came up with 20 different things I’d like to do in 2020, some are new habits, some are fun trips like visiting a Presidential Library and taking my nieces to the Great America theme park, and others are little and big tasks I’d like to accomplish this year. But after reading an article about how many 20 somethings are planning their deaths and being dubbed “Death Positive,” maybe planning my funeral should have been on my 20 for 2020 list this year?
Millennials aren’t afraid to tackle death
According to the article, Why millennials are the “death positive”
generation[1],
millennials aren’t afraid to tackle tough issues like death. Previous
generations have shied away from estate and funeral planning with less than 1
in 3 having advance healthcare directives like living wills and power of
attorneys and even fewer have made funeral arrangements. When planning their
own funerals, millennials are taking into consideration that they don’t have a
lot of money, they want to be friendlier to the environment and they like to
use the thought of death to make them live more in the moment. Some have
decided that others making the wrong choice for them is scarier than dealing
with death planning themselves. (Quick fact, I once heard on a presidential
library tour that the first thing a president does when he/she takes office is
plan his/her funeral)
Revamping the Funeral Landscape
Another problem the younger generations have faced when dealing with the loss of a loved one and then dealing with their estate (finances, house, and just stuff) is that there was not a lot of assistance out there. The expensive funeral home option offered some help with the body but there was no guidance on what to do with everything else. Because of these difficult experiences they have created companies and services that are revamping the funeral planning landscape and creating very useful resources for all of us to use.
Here to help with all goals
I applaud anyone that is making this process easier to go through or plan for and I hope you will find inspiration in the Millennial Generation’s approach. As always, I am here to help, support or be a sounding board to achieve any future goal you may have.
Funeral Planning Resources
Below are just a few of the different resources now available, but not an exhaustive list by any means. Full disclosure, I have never used any of these resources and list them as a starting place to launch your search – and mine.
https://www.lantern.co/ a digital end of life planning tool checklist
https://goodtogopeace.org/ offers a 50 page “departure file” covers info a will doesn’t include
https://www.funeralocity.com/ provide comparative pricing for funeral homes by zip code
https://www.gatheringus.com/ arranging memorials digitally
https://www.freewill.com/ drafting important legal documents online
https://www.recompose.life/ gently converts human remains into soil
[1] https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2020/1/15/21059189/death-millennials-funeral-planning-cremation-green-positive