What will be your legacy?

In other words, how do you want to be remembered when you’re gone? Many people don’t think about this, but it may be one of the most important questions that we’ll ever answer.

With August being What Will Be Your Legacy Month, funeral directors can use this as inspiration to help their families with preplanning. By understanding their legacy, they can better preplan a funeral that represents who they were and what they want to leave behind.

The Meaning of Legacy

Your legacy can help you understand who you are and what values you want to leave behind for others. Your passions, beliefs, and values all make up your story and are life lessons you can pass down to future generations.

It also can help you live a more fulfilled life. You can determine what’s important in your life and what not to waste your energy on. And if you discover you’re not currently living up to your desired legacy, you can act to change it.

Questions to Ask Families About Their Legacy and Preplanning

To help families discover their legacy and funeral wishes, these are some questions that funeral directors can ask them:

What matters most in your life?

What are you passionate about?

How do you want to make a difference?

How would you describe your personality in three words?

What three words do you hope others would use to describe your personality?

How do you want your personality and passions reflected in your funeral service?

What lessons do you want to teach others to pass on to future generations?

How do you want your legacy memorialized, whether it’s through a physical memorial or family members and friends passing down stories?

How to Put Their Thoughts into Actions

There are many ways families can put their thoughts about their legacy and funeral wishes into action, such as:

• In Case of Emergency books (ICE books) don’t have to just include important documents and passwords. You also can document your funeral arrangement wishes and your legacy. Your loved ones will have more guidance when planning the funeral and finding ways to honor your legacy.
• Another unique way to document your funeral arrangements and legacy is by creating Pinterest boards. You can pin everything from caskets and urns to quotes that embody your values and passions.
• You also can simply write down your thoughts and share them with family around the dinner table. The movement Death Over Dinner encourages people to talk to their loved ones about death and funerals. You can learn more about your loved ones, what’s important to them, and how they want to be remembered.
• Once you discover what you’re passionate about, make sure you’re spending time doing those things. Get involved in the community and dedicate time to do the things that matter most. You can spread your legacy to others in life so they’ll pass it on too.

Ways Your Funeral Home Can Get Involved

Your funeral home can get involved in What Will Be Your Legacy Month to help your community discover their legacies and funeral wishes, such as:

• Hosting an event where families answer the questions in the above section.
• Holding an educational preplanning seminar for your community.
• Having an ICE book creation workshop.
• Inviting your community for a dinner and speaker to talk about legacies and funeral planning
• Organizing a community picnic and using the Have the Talk of a Lifetime cards to discuss death, funerals, and legacies.

How is your funeral home getting involved in What Will Be Your Legacy Month? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!