What Kind of Funeral? Identifying and Resolving Family Conflicts

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I recently reviewed a body of information about planning funerals (e.g., Funeral Directory, 2003; National Funeral Directors' Association, 2003). A frequent recommendation was to discuss options and document your wishes with a professional funeral director or estate planner. And, while many sources also cautioned readers to discuss their wishes with loved ones to prevent this information from being solely in the hands of a "stranger," it was equally common to find statements that noted the difficulties of raising this issue with those to whom one is personally close. Being a fan of Ogden Nash, I wondered if he had any words of wisdom to offer to people facing this challenging and …