How does the below post editorial relate to a state funeral alleged to be published in the post today? This are rumours being passed on by some UPND and MMD cadres and demanded an explanation from me. I nearly fell into the trap until I went to post website to do my own independent investigations upon advise from some faithful followers. Thanks guys you always watch my back. Guys stop twisting stories to suit your agenda of wishing death upon Sata. Hemcs is very alive. Funerals By Editor Tue 08 July 2014, 14:00 CAT [1074 A FUNERAL is an important event for a grieving family. Psychologically, it provides a sense of closure and enables the family to begin the healing process. Families benefit emotionally and socially by honouring the lives of their loved ones with a fitting ceremony and by giving them a proper send-off. Susan Kawandami, the chiefs and traditional affairs deputy minister, urges us to prepare ahead for funerals. This is understandable because it is difficult to make the funeral the best it can be when planning it in a short and very stressful time. Kawandami says most funeral arrangements are hastily carried out at the last minute and their expensive costs are hard for families to manage when they are grieving. She says the only way that families could avoid this was through planning ahead for funerals. As Africans, we dont prepare for death. Whenever there is death, we panic, says Kawandami. This explains why it is difficult for Africans to accept death. Death, difficult as it may be to accept, is a necessary and inevitable end of life. It is something none of us can escape. Its just a matter of time, all of us will go. Life is a terminal illness, we will all go. At the moment we are blessed with human life and with all the possibilities that this implies. When we die, nothing can be taken with us but the seeds of our lifes work. Death! The very thought of it is bitter. But we are reminded in the Bible: Do not be afraid of deaths decree. Remember that it came to those before you and will come to those after you. The Lord has decreed it for every living creature. Who are you to object to what the Most Highness wishes? (Sirach 41: 3-4). But still most of us dont want to talk about death or dying. Nor do we want to think about planning for our own funerals. It is said, any time is good time for funeral planning...except at the time of the funeral. Why? This is because, as Kawandami aptly puts it, there are clear advantages to planning ahead for a funeral. Can you imagine planning a wedding ceremony in just a few days? Or any celebration for that matter? Why leave the ultimate celebration of your life to the last minute? We agree with Kawandami that planning a funeral in advance is a wise thing to do. Making funeral plans at the time of death is particularly difficult because the time frame is short and emotions are high as survivors are dealing with their grief. Not only is there much planning to do, there are also imminent financial concerns. The death of someone you care for, together with wanting to make the right decisions - especially when you have a limited amount of time to attend to all the details - leaves many families feeling overwhelmed. Often these decisions must be made when a family is grieving and is least prepared. Many people have done everything they can to protect their familys future: invested wisely, opened savings account and acquired insurance on their lives, but they havent taken care of their own funeral arrangements - leaving one of the most difficult tasks to figure out at a time of sadness and loss. Thats why it is so important to take seriously what Kawandami is saying and give serious thought to your personal wishes and plan for your funeral in advance. We know this may sound strange and contrary to our culture. But the life we live today has changed from that lived by our ancestors. Very little then was required for a funeral. Today, a funeral is a huge expense and a complicated issue, logistically and otherwise. So our attitudes have to change and accept the realities of the epoch under which we live. Your funeral should be personalised to reflect your wishes and bring comfort to your family and friends. Preparing ahead for a funeral gives you the opportunity to become informed about what is needed, when you have the time to think things through. You are in full control and you can select and specify what truly has meaning to you and your family. Many people think they have taken care of everything by writing a will, or even purchasing their cemetery plot. But thats not all. A will simply leaves instructions for the handling of an individuals financial affairs. The funeral arrangements still remain to be planned and paid for. Your survivors benefit the most when you prepare ahead. Moreover, when a funeral is not pre-arranged, someone who may not be aware of your wishes may have to make all the decisions. Planning ahead ensures that your wishes are made known. Funeral arrangements are an important part of the grieving process. For family members and loved ones alike, it provides an opportunity to express their grief, share memories and to celebrate a life lived. More importantly, knowing your wishes and carrying them out can bring great comfort to surviving family members and friends. And determining your final disposition is a very personal decision, influenced by your faith and beliefs. This should not be left to the whims of others. If your wishes are unknown when you die, your family will be faced with making difficult decisions at a trying time. Confusion and disagreements are common occurrences at our funerals because of having no plans left by the deceased to follow. This can be avoided by planning ahead. If you have specific preferences for the disposition of your remains and the nature of your funeral, these can be clearly expressed in your funeral plan. Planning ahead for your funeral enables you to keep your financial commitments to a comfortable level while eliminating the future financial burden placed on your surviving family members. Although Kawandami was saying this at the launch of an insurance policy designed for funerals, we dont think insurance can make the many decisions that are required at the time of need. Even with insurance in place, the actual funeral arrangements still need to be planned ahead, and this can be a complicated task at time of grief and loss. Taking care of your funeral arrangements ahead of your death is a thoughtful and caring thing to do for your family. It is comforting to know that you have done all you can to ease their burden on your death. And you can be assured that they will appreciate that your caring for them continued after you are gone.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 23:22:39 +0000
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