Funeral Blues, Reds, Yellows and Other Hues

I have never been as involved in making funeral arrangements as before. I could only imagine how difficult it is to deal with death while keeping your mind work...ticking off items on a to-do-list while appearing calm. 

The two most recent funerals I have attended actually made me do this blog. One was my grandfather's funeral and one a cousin's funeral. Both really drained me emotionally and physically. 

Of course, I fully appreciate the efforts of my relatives who've done a superb job at arranging the funerals. I am not in the position to criticize the arrangements they've made really. I barely did anything to help in any way. Admittedly though, it was an average funeral. Nothing to fuss about it for the next 100 years.

Talking about funerals actually make me want to arrange mine in advance. And it begins now.

I'm gonna rattle aimlessly and see where this leads. Here goes...

I want superb coffee at my funeral. I'm not talking about 3-in-1 formulations of coffee or any variants thereof. I want good, brewed coffee. I don't mind paying a Starbucks to make coffee for my funeral...or maybe CBTL or maybe my own coffee shop if ever I get to build my own coffee shop someday.

Imagine a CBTL stand in my funeral...there'll be comfortable couches for people to sit on and gourmet coffee for everyone to sip on while they're gossiping over my dead body.

I don't mind Starbucks either. Besides they have good pastries there as well.

I want a glass casket. But if I die a horrible death and should I die with my face or my body mutilated in any way...I'd rather have the casket closed to public viewing. I will appreciate it greatly if I am placed in a glass casket though...and here's to wishing I would die with my body and face intact.

I am sorry...Snow White lang ang peg pag nasa glass casket na ako...

As for the flowers, I would prefer live flowers which will be planted on a garden where I plan my ashes to be buried in. I don't like any of those traditional funeral flowers. They make me cringe. I don't mind roses of various colors and dahlias and tulips too. Since gerberas and daisies are colorful, I don't mind having them on my funeral. I don't want dreary looking flowers on my funeral.

If you haven't seen daisies and gerberas...take a good look...you'll be bringing these to my funeral...live flowers OK? 

And I don't want to bore everyone on my funeral. Rest assured, entertainment will be provided.

So there'll be a viewing screen for a slideshow of my pictures and my videos. If my true friends decide to give parting messages to me and make their own video presentations they can be viewed in the same manner as well. 

I don't mind if videos from my favorite movies be screened as well. So I am listing them here now:

1. A Walk in the Clouds
2. A Very Long Engagement
3. The Exam
4. The Departed
5. Breakfast Club
6. The Incredibles (indeed...)
7. Braveheart
8. Burn After Reading
9. Inglorious Basterds
10. Juno

One of my fave scenes in A Walk in the Clouds...watch out for this scene while they're screening the movie in my funeral. At this point, my guests will remember how I've been a hopeless romantic all my life.

The movies will be subject to change as I might encounter more good movies in the future. But that's just a sample of what to expect for entertainment in my funeral.

I don't want any form of gambling in my funeral. But we can have raffle draws instead. I don't want to raffle any of my properties away but I am thinking scholarships for the underprivileged may be raffled and they can be funded continuously with a trust fund.

I do not know if it's too much to request...but I would prefer people to dress to the nines on the day of burial. 

You can follow after her lead...she's wearing the funeral clothes like high fash-shhhowwwnn!!

An orchestra will also be hired to perform a selection of songs...some religious...some not religious but inspirational. I have a list in mind...here goes:

1. Amazing Grace
2. We Shall All Be Changed
3. Mansion Over the Hilltop
4. Just As I Am
5. Bring Him Home
6. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
7. Seasons of Love
8. What A Wonderful World
9. You're Gonna Miss Me
10. Imagine

And they shall be there to make heavenly music. 

And maybe more...I'll come up with more songs maybe later...

Religious services can only be held by churches I have attended...I don't mind a tribal funeral rite either. But I don't want to be mummified. Please no...or I'll come back as the haunted 
mummy.

Maybe I should stop here...I don't want to have the perfect plan for a funeral JUST YET...I want to live a meaningful life so I would deserve such a wonderful funeral.

With that I leave the message lifted from this very cool artwork.: I believe that is meaningful because we make it so. Start making your life meaningful now! =D

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