In 1997 my husband of 31 years passed. We had a prepaid program for funeral arrangements.  It was a very traumatic time for me, being left alone with one child and no savings.

The company we dealt with was fantastic. One phone call is all that was needed and everything was taken of with no hassle, or added stress.

The funeral home we had chosen abided to all the arrangements that we had discussed two years earlier.

I had no added expenses.

This may appear  like a cold, point to point disertation.  But even after all this time, I still have problems discussing his death.

But in my heart, and soul, I am grateful that we had a prepaid program. 

I have even talked with my grown children about having such a program so that their spouses, children, or even me (if still around) can be spared much stress and decision making, and their wishes will be granted.

I have a boyfriend who does not have arrangements made at this time, and without being a nag, I am trying to get him to purchase one.

I am a recently retired secondary Classroom Paraprofessional. I worked for eight (8) years with special needs students. My students typically dealt with chronic, debilitating ands sometimes life threatening ailments on a daily basis. My job entailed frequent occasions which demanded one-on-one and group counseling to deal with concerns, such as family deaths. During those counseling sessions, I listened to students express anxieties about impending deaths [ill family members] and past deaths. Depending upon the response and concern of students, I would offer consolation and a platform for students to express themselves. My counseling would include open-ended and leading questioning in order to draw feelings out of students. Prior to working as a paraprofessional, I worked as a House Manager for a state-funded Girls Group Home in Louisiana. The residents were emotionally traumatized teens, often from harsh living conditions, such as abuse, drugs and alcoholism. During this time, I was directly involved with group counseling that included frequent occasions involving death of a family member. Within my community, I have always been involved with funeral planning and i have refered many family and friends to www.funeralhelp.com.

Unfortunately I have first-hand experience with Funeral Planning. My mother, may she rest in peace, passed away last week. My father, may he rest in peace, passed away eight years ago. I held each of my parents' hands as they passed away. I was involved in the arrangements, and have a basic understanding of what needs to be done.