In due time all of us will die.
If we are fortunate enough to have time before our death we can express our love and seek forgiveness for those around us.
Some people have done so through a "living funeral."
But don't wait!
Make your relationships right by apologies or forgiveness. Tell your family members you love them.
Take Christ's message out into a hurting world while you can!
Video from OGS
My Final Farewell Before I Die
"At 29, in the face of a life cut short due to a rare form of ovarian cancer, Michelle ‘Mike’ Ng held a living funeral to gather her loved ones while she was still alive." from the video introduction
What is a living funeral? This unique celebration of life and its benefits explained
If you’ve heard the term “living funeral” pop up as you’re planning end-of-life care for yourself or a loved one, you may very well wonder if you’ve stumbled on a typo. After all, the history of funeral practices in the United States and around the world customarily centers around the time after someone has died.
But no, you read that right. A living funeral — sometimes called a living wake or a pre-funeral — is a ceremony held for a person who is very much alive.
What is a living funeral all about? Why are loved ones opting to throw funerals for the living? Who are they for, and why have they grown in popularity? We asked experts to break down the practice of living funerals and to help you decide if this ritual is one that’s right for you or someone you love.
What is a living funeral?
In its most simple form, a living funeral is a funeral held for a person who is still alive. They are usually performed for individuals who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or who are advancing in age and coming to grips with their mortality and are typically held in the months, weeks or even days before someone’s death.
While the terminology may be unfamiliar to you, the living funeral concept is not new, says the Rev. George Handzo, director of health services research and quality for the national nonprofit HealthCare Chaplaincy Network. As a chaplain who works with people nearing the end of their life, Handzo says he’s often seen family members come together for a party of sorts to celebrate their loved one.
In some indigenous cultures, Handzo adds, it’s traditional for family members to gather near the end of a loved one’s life and engage in rituals, such as passing on family heirlooms, eating together and praying together as death nears. And the concept of a living funeral has long been practiced in countries like Japan, where the practice is called a seizensō or “funeral while alive.”.. from the article: What is a living funeral? This unique celebration of life and its benefits explained