On death and such things

Death is such an odd thing. Most things in life only profoundly affect you and maybe your immediate family. But death does not affect you at all. YOU are dead. Yet death is one of the most discussed events in a person's life.
Your death, while YOURS, really belongs to the living. Your death really belongs to everyone you love and everyone you touched throughout your lifetime. It also affects all of the people who love or are connected to the people who love you. And while your death is one of the most important events in your lifetime, you are really not affected by it because you are dead. With one exception...
People who get old or have a near death experience and are forced to think about their death and the rituals that surround it way before the time of their death.
The conversations usually start when someone attends a funeral. They will make comments to their children, "If you ever let some mortician seal my holes up with super glue and suck my blood out replacing it with embalming fluid so that people can look at me 'one last time' I will haunt you until the day you die and probably after that! I want to be burned up and put in a wine bottle, my favorite place to be! And if you spend a lot of money I'll bring you right along with me. Money is for the living!"
 Or, the conversation could go like this, "If you don't give me an open casket funeral so everyone can have some closure I will haunt you till the day you die and probably after that! I don't want to be burned up like someone's old trash. And I want a nice casket too, with lots of flowers. I didn't spend my life working hard to not have a nice send off!  AND..if you don't give me a nice headstone, I will take you right along with me!"
There is so much pressure on the living to make sure the dead person is happy it is unbelievable! For goodness sakes YOU ARE DEAD!!
If you have ideas about your funeral might I suggest going and making your plans before you die and PAYING for it. That way no one will be stuck with the bill or any of the decision making that  comes with it, sometimes tearing families apart!
As for me, I am the wine bottle, celebrate my life girl mentioned above. I do want a headstone that mentions I was here for future generations and to indulge those who share my love of exploring old cemeteries. I want my headstone to say I was here and I was a wife, mother, grandmother and friend and that I hope I was a good person more or less. I also want it to have my favorite saying, "It is far better to raise children than to repair adults."
As for everyone else's wishes for their funeral. Talk it over with the people you love but do them a favor and plan it for THEM before YOU die.
Blessings to all, LIVE it UP while you got a chance!
Teena