You might think of the future, at times. And sometimes, you might even go so far into the future that you think about your own cremation services. Who is going to plan your services? Who will be in charge of them? There are certainly options to consider. One thing that many people are doing is planning their own services in advance. You can make plans ahead of time and your cremation services are lined up and ready for your family when the time comes. However, if you want your family to be in charge of those services when the time comes, who will be the one planning things out? Here are a few options, depending on your situation.
If you are married, your spouse is the person who will likely be in charge of your final services when you pass on. If they die first, you would be the one everyone would look to for their services as well. They are the closest person to you, and they are the most likely one to know what you want when that time comes around. It is a good idea to have a conversation with your spouse at some point, so you know what they want and vice versa. That way, when the time comes for one of you or the other, you are both prepared with the right plans.
If your spouse has already passed on, or you are divorced and have children, those children will be in charge of your final services as the next people in your family line. If you have more than one child, it can be easier on them since they have each other to lean on. While it’s hard to think about them having to care for you instead of you caring for them as you have all of their lives, you will want to talk to them about the things you want so you are able to avoid them having to make hard decisions and guesses in the future.
If you aren’t married and don’t have children, your next of kin may be the one who makes the final service plans. That might be your sibling, a cousin, an aunt, or someone else in your family who is the closest to you. Again, it’s wise to make sure that person knows what you would like if you have any wishes and don’t plan to make plans yourself.
When you think about this process in the future, even if you don’t make your own plans, you can assign someone to make your plans. You can assign the task to your best friend, a person in your life that you trust. When you decide in advance, you get to make that designation.
If you don’t leave the directions behind, your cremation services may be left up to whichever family member volunteers to take them on for the family and for you.