Who will be at the funeral?

[cnu5000]

Just to clarify-I think people who suffer from extreme dementia NEED to be in nursing homes.

I think when people(like myself) joke about the nursing home it refers to an elderly person who needs some assistance but not 24/7 care.

In fact I think there are times when not to place elderly people in nursing homes is actually neglectful and people don't want to do it because of they hope to inherit the person's money.

[shell]

Yes, sometimes it is too much of an ordeal. And far too long. I guess for me, I feel that I don't need to 'see' the person after they have passed. I want to remember them as they looked alive. I like the concept of wakes, honoring and celebrating the persons life. I also like the idea of organ donation. I agree cnu, it can become abusive and neglectful, all because of money. I have seen this happen. Sad.
Shell

[starling78]

I have definately thought about the funeral thing and my last years...alot. Sometimes it makes me hope that I just don't end up living long enough to end up completely alone, which would be pretty much guaranteed if I live long enough since I dont have any family other than my parents. I am married but as someone posted earlier women tend to live longer plus my husband is 6'2" and I cant ever recall seeing a really tall old man. I dont know if there is anything to that or not, just something I have noticed. Anyway, the only thing that kind of makes me feel like it shouldnt be much of a concern is that I will be dead and I wont have to see how sad it is when nobody is there to even know I died and whatever dog I happen to own at the time starts to eat my corpse. I realize having kids is not necessarily going to be a way out of this fate, but I'm not sure that I would be thinking in those terms right now at my age if I thought I was eventually going to have children. On the other hand though, I have to say as I see friends having to deal with aging or otherwise emotionally needy parents I am kind of glad that I will never be responsible for placing that kind of burden on another person. It makes being childfree seem like a pretty altruistic act, rather than selfish like I'm sure we have all heard people say.

[sweetnsour]

Actually, because I won't be here to see it, it won't matter to me who comes to my funeral. Funerals are for the living. Also, because I don't no what condition the organic matter will be in, a funeral may not be applicable. An example would be if the remains have not been found. I would prefer that those I leave behind throw a party and celebrate my life. Ideally, it would be optimum if the party could occur while I'm still alive and can enjoy it, and really know what my life meant to others.

[kentuckykimmie]

i couldn't care less who comes or even if anyone comes to my funeral. i also don't care if no one ever visited me when i am old unless i suddenly change, because i don't care for visitors now. it is a burden to me to have to do all of the work necessary to receive visitors. i have 15 cats, we both smoke, and our home is set up for our personal comfort. having visitors would mean "decatifying" the house of cat hair and all of their toys, smoking outside, and cleaning the upstairs,making beds, shopping for food that "normal" people would like, etc......... i live far off the road on the top of a mountain for a reason.

i "served my time" raising someone else's child, working with a woman who was allowed to bring her kid to work, living in the upper middle class suburbs where every other neighbor had loud children and all of the accessories necessary to disturb the life of people who wish to live in peace and quiet, NO THANKS. i am pretty much done with people wasting my time and burderning me with their selfishness. i'd like to think my immediate family would come, and perhaps some lifelong friends, but i won't know the difference and don't care.

i am so happy to have found some peace and quiet in the past two years that i will never go back to the rat race of lots of selfish people and their restless brood draining the life out of me. of course, i could get tired of being alone one day i suppose, should something happen to my husband, but i seriously doubt it.