No one likes the idea of anticipating someone passing away. Unfortunately, this is the natural life cycle. After a few years of living their best life, their passing might be a few steps away. No matter how hard everyone tries to take a pause, there’s no other way but to accept the fact that someone is passing away.
If a loved one is anticipating the near end of their life, you should prepare yourself for their passing so that it won’t cause too much trauma. While heartache is unavoidable, preparing for the worst day of your life can help manage the pain.
Apart from creating a funeral planning checklist after their passing, below are some ways to prepare for a loved one’s death:
In This Article
1. Say What You Want To Say
Most people regret not saying what’s on their minds and hearts when their loved one passes away. The only moment they get to say those words would be during their eulogy or even through a letter that their loved one cannot read while still living.
While it may be difficult to say what you want to say to your dying loved one, remember that what you’re about to say is for them to hear, not for you to worry about. You might not have any more chances to speak from your heart. So. say everything from your heart and be truthful about everything. They deserve to know how you genuinely feel and allow their hearts to flutter even at the last minute.
2. Include Them In Everything You Do
Since your loved one only has a limited time on Earth, you should try to include them in everything you do. This way, you can still be in touch with them and allow them to feel loved, important, and missed. It’ll be a small gesture they’ll surely bring with them as they pass.
If they’re still able to go out, you can begin by bringing them to their favorite restaurants or even to a breathtaking view that they’ve always wanted to visit. You can even watch movies together, make them taste your most delicious meals, or spend the time together and talk to them about your day. The more you can keep them distracted from their pain, the better their emotional stability.
3. Create A Strong Support System
The one experiencing the most hardship during these times would be your loved one, which is bound to have a nearing expiration day in this world. The last thing they’d want is to be so depressed about what’s to come that they can’t enjoy what life still has to offer.
To allow your loved ones to enjoy their day, you should create a strong support system that will try everything possible to make them feel better and, hopefully, distract themselves from their current pain. Moreover, they’ll also be the ones you can call once the worst has happened. You’ll be there for each other to comfort and go through the grieving phase together.
4. Take Time For Yourself
Anticipating the death of someone can be very difficult for everyone. While you try your best to stay and look strong in front of your loved one, it might make you weak once you’re on your own.
To help yourself regain your strong emotions, take some time to embrace your feelings and slowly accept the fact that there’s nothing you can do.
Ideally, you should take at least 15 minutes of your day all by yourself and grieve on your own. You can go down memory lane, write a letter for your loved one, compose what you want to say, or try to distract yourself and do things that’ll take your mind off their death.
5. Discuss Family Assets
Understandably, discussing the distribution of family assets when a loved one is near their death will be difficult. However, if they still haven’t settled their will, now would be the perfect time to discuss family assets to avoid future conflicts. As you agree on everything while they’re still alive, you can ensure that everything will be in order and at peace.
As you discuss family assets, you must legalize everything by creating a documented or online will for this. This will help to ensure that everyone will follow the agreement as word of mouth won’t be counted as legal grounds. While it might sound devastating, finalizing the will is necessary to avoid conflicts and possible arguments within the family.
Takeaway
Preparing for someone’s death has to be one of the most dreading days of your life. It’s the time wherein they might be days away from their final day, and that thought would always break your heart. Still, try to consider yourself lucky as you have time to prepare and do things right, just before they head off. It’s the perfect opportunity to make them feel loved and special, as they should be.
