Give the Gift of Preplanning 

Las Navidades is a time filled with joy, tradition, festivities, and togetherness. Throughout the holiday season, familiares y amigos come together to celebrate, catch up, and share what’s important in our lives. The Advent season is also a time of reflection, prayer, and preparation as we celebrate el nacimiento de Cristo and begin the new year.

This can also be a time to reflect on and share our end-of-life plans with those we love. Though it may feel morbid to think about, death is a part of life. Having a plan in place for what happens after you're gone is a precious gift to your loved ones. It offers tranquilidad and eases the burden of decision-making during a time of loss and grief.

Hablando de lo que importa en estas fiestas.

¿Qué te importa?

If you've never thought about your funeral before, you'll want to start by considering the basics:

• Would you prefer to be buried or cremated?
• Do you want to be buried or have ashes scattered in a specific location, whether in the U.S. or back home?
• Do you want a traditional Catholic funeral or a different kind of celebration of life?

When you plan for these instances in advance, your family won’t have to guess your answers when it comes time to say their final goodbyes. Family members who don't know what their loved one would have wanted are more likely to argue, over-spend, and stress during their time of mourning. By removing those conflicts, you give el regalo de la tranquilidad.

¿Como quieres ser recordado?

Funerals are a time of mourning, but also for remembering and celebrating a life. When your loved ones gather to honor you, are there things you can leave behind that will make it easier to tell your story?

We often get so busy with the day-to-day of our lives that we forget to share our important stories and values. Thinking about what your family may need to create an obituary, eulogy, funeral program and personalized service can help you see las cosas importantes.

Consider:

• Does your family know the biographical information needed for an obituary, such as your place of birth and proper names of parents and grandparents?
• Do you have a favorite Bible verse or hymn you'd want played at a service?
• Is there a specific message you'd like inscribed on your memorial marker?

Perhaps you're not worried about los detalles and would prefer just a simple memorial. That's okay, too. You can plan a funeral to be as simple or extravagant as you wish. Even planning just a simple service relieves your family the stress of worrying whether you'd have wanted something more ornate

Elegir una funeraria para llevar a cabo sus deseos.