Death and Grieving

There is an old saying that states “The day we are born is the same we start to die”. This statement bothered me for quite a while because no one wants to think about dying. Leaving this earth at an allotted time is inevitable. The passing of loved ones is never easy to deal with. Death, to many, conveys a fairly constant string of emotions. There is disbelief, anger, and the most devastating sorrow from the loss. Many times death could seem to be a sad and lonely path for the ones left behind. Each family confronts death and funerals in a different manner. Some families follow long held traditions, while others seem to have no such precedent to serve as a guide. With that said, the faster people realize death will come, the better prepared they will be. At first consideration, I thought that I would not be able to write this paper because of the emotional baggage I would have to tap into to provide the content. Over the past few years I have lost many people close to me. What I have learned from all the deaths I have endured is have money set aside for the funeral, embrace the grief, and have a predetermined plan. No matter how much it hurts that a loved one passed, the funeral home wants to be paid up front for services rendered. There is no words to describe losing someone and not knowing how their burial would be paid for. I have dealt with many deaths in my life, but nothing has ever compared to me losing my father. I can still remember that dreadful phone call at 5:15AM from my mother saying he had just passed. Disbelief is the word that comes to mind when I think back to that moment in time. It is very funny how seeing is believing, because when I saw my father lying in that dreadful hospice bed, my emotions flooded and I broke. Once I gained my composure, the worry of how my family would come up with seven to ten thousand dollars to pay for the funeral. Funeral and burial insurance is one of the greatest investments one can make. We were fortunate enough