WHY PRETEND?

     It should be plainly stated that there is nothing morbid or unethical about advance planning for a death of a loved one.  Some people might feel that researching local funeral homes before the person has died or drawing up lists of that needs to be done after death is ghoulish, or that it indicates an eagerness on the part of the heirs for the loved one to die sooner.
     Surely this is nonsense.  If a person is clearly dying, why pretend otherwise?  When death comes, the experience will be a difficult one, perhaps the most difficult ever encountered.  Why not cushion the shock by arming oneself ahead of time with the relevant contacts, the pertinent information, the knowledge of appropriate procedure, so that there will be less to stress and confound one during a time of truly emotional trial?  Although the effort to preplan may be difficult now, the benefits of such actions will later be heart-wrenching apparent.