How to maintain control from the afterlife...
ReHearse
Once you've decided where and how, the rest of
your funeral becomes your own work or art. There is something quite
self-indulgent about how you choose your own funeral details. Think of
it in the same way as Changing Rooms or House Doctor looks at a flat.
(What a fantastic TV show a "design your own funeral" programme
would be! The whole creative panoply is there: not just coffin design,
colour and so on, but flowers, music, songs and hymns, readings, pictures,
reminiscences - you can even draw up a dress code and guest list.)
Crucially, it also allows you to pay for it, or allow for it in your will.
The average funeral in the UK costs some £1,500, and, with funerals
usually taking place within a week of death, decisions are often taken
in a hurry and in distress. You alone have the power to do something about
that and relieve stress for those you care about.
Coffin Fit
So why did Positive Nation commission me to write an article on funerals?
Haven't we all enjoyed the Lazarus effect? Should we not all be busy empowering
ourselves through Positive Futures and grasping life through this and
other initiatives?
I suppose this is a way of taking control over part of our destiny. Remember
the positive woman who took part in the Channel 4 programme a couple of
years ago. She chirpily discussed how she had planned her funeral and
even had her own coffin made - only to discover that with anti-retrovirals
she stayed very much alive - so now her coffin makes an ideal CD storage
space, which she proudly exhibited on the programme. A leading African
HIV spokeswoman recently remarked how she has a
page 5 of 7
contents
of issue 78
back
issues
the
gazette
recipes
small
ads
contacting
us
weblinks
beautiful photograph of herself blown up especially for use on top of her
