Rerunning this from the summer of 2018.
I was so influenced by the story in last week’s blog — the teacher who left behind a request for filled student backpacks to be donated in lieu of flowers, that I wonder if hosting a little workshop for people to do the same kind of thing would have any takers.
Who wouldn’t want to leave a last request for a good deed to be done in their honor? Make it simple, just say:
Bring ______ in my honor.
For the teacher from last week it was backpacks. It could be… just making these up as I type…
• art supplies for a children’s program in need
• flowers for people in old folks’ homes (basically any goodies for nursing home residents can make such a difference)
• pamper packets for families of long-term hospital patients
• treats for elderly shut-ins
• new hats/gloves/scarves for underprivileged kids
• cheerful decorations for clinics or similar places where there might be no budget for such niceties
And the thing is, you find something that calls you in particular. You start with Who do I want to help, to make a positive difference for?, and then decide what the gift is. It’s important that you love the idea, because that’s where the satisfaction and inspiration comes in.
Making a last request for a good deed isn’t as overwhelming as figuring out all your funeral plans… which is what I’m a crusader for… but hey, we need to be realistic. If this inspires you, it’s an easy step.
This rather small idea is easy, fun, and a potential godsend for the beneficiaries. You never know what kind of ripple effect there is from one good deed.
And THIS is the whole point of I Want a Fun Funeral… creating fun and joy in the goodbye process.