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Of Interest
It's All Good Stuff
When working with
clients I find myself climbing up on my soap box quite
frequently. On almost any given day, you can hear me
talk to clients about their "stuff."
Take a look
around your home and/or office. Someone will have
to deal with
all your "stuff" if
something happens to you. It includes every single sheet
of paper, every box of sentimental trinkets, every article of
clothing, every picture, every part of your comic book
collection, every dish, every piece of jewelry, every work of
art, every piece of your hobby supply, every plant, every appliance, every CD,
every book, your computer, your autos, your yard equipment, your
junk, your valuables and your "it means something to me" items.
If you have ever moved, you know how difficult it is to go
through your own stuff much less go through someone else's
stuff.
We, as Americans,
have become addicted to having stuff.
Take a look at the storage industry. In 2007, 1 out
of every 10 households has a self-storage unit.
That means 10% of all the people in the USA have possessions
locked away in a multi-unit facility they visit only on
occasion. It took the self-storage industry more
than 25 years to build its first billion square feet of space
and added the second billion square feet in the past 8 years.
It's a trend that will send shockwaves through your heirs as
they work through the boxes of your stuff. Think about it.
Going
Green!
You hear a lot about fuel,
farming, construction and products going green. Did
you know that burials are even going green?
The movement is growing! What does it mean?
Well, it essentially means burials without any embalming
chemicals, non-decomposing caskets or steel vaults.
Decomposition takes place naturally and for a lot less money to
boot!
The subject of embalming has come
up several times in my planning sessions.
Essentially, people curdle at the thought of some chemicals
being pumped into their bodies after they are gone.
However, they never think to let their family know their
preferences ahead of time. It's important because
someone WILL have to make that decision.
I was on a radio
talk show in the Spring and the question came up if there are
any cemeteries in Texas that allow you to have a green burial.
The first and only one I have been able to locate is in
Huntsville, TX. It's called the Ethician
Family Cemetery. I just thought you might want
to know!
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Humor
...yes there is humor in this business.
"......every great life, like
every good speech, deserves a memorable conclusion."
Amy Samet evaluates a funeral in
this video where the service did not
capture the essence of the man.
Watch
the video
"They say such nice things about
people at their funerals that it makes me sad that I'm going to
miss mine by just a few days."
Garrison Kielor.
Ashes
and Last Wishes
A couple of years ago, I accompanied my best friend to New Mexico
to help her fulfill the last wishes of her mother.
Her mother wanted to have her ashes go up in some fireworks.
On this journey, we met new friends who also had tales to tell
about the last wishes they carried out. I have
to say they were some of the funniest stories I've heard.
Yes, believe it or not, there is a lot of humor here.
One of the funniest stories was by my cousin, Sara.
I had her write it out for me so you could see for yourself.
Read
Sara's story.
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