It wasn't until this week, after a rather delicate conversation with a local funeral director, that I realized that, (at least from his point of view), there was such a thing as asking too many questions (this query concerned embalming fluid).
The death industry, like many others, has been changed by our new emphasis on disclosure. That's good, probably in most ways, though there is a lot out there in questionable taste.
For instance -- a video om embalming might be educational (though I didn't feel the need to watch to much). Frankly, however, I think a demonstration of "embalming grandpa" may be TMI. I stopped clicking when "are you 18 or older" came up on the screen.
But as Josh Slocum, a consumer advocate for people like us suggests, it's easier to plan ahead when the event doesn't seem imminent - much tougher when you are a grieving family, and you have to decide right now.
What do you talk about, when you talk about death?
Column: Confronting death in this day and age - LancasterOnline: Faith And Values
