The funeral Arrangements Guatemala have the expertise to conduct an entire funeral by themselves. It is so very important to understand that the death of a loved one surely creates a lot of crisis in the family of a close relative. It is a blessing to have the opportunity of honoring the last wish of a person. It is good to know that a person can be laid to rest and it is easy to honor their last wish if you have the support of a reliable arranger who is an expert at funerals. It is sometimes quite shocking to know that your loved one is no more around. It will certainly give you the quantum of peace and happiness to know that you were fortunate enough to know and honor the last wish of the person.

While you look at life in a positive way, you wish that people around you must always stay healthy. But the fact is that we all grow old and it sometimes really matters a lot of have a good life with the wealth of friends and family. Confiding your last wish with a close relative is good so that they can honor the same. Some people wish that their ashes be spread in a particular sea or some may wish that their ashes may stay in an urn. These are specific wishes which you can certainly fulfill. Losing a spouse is surely shocking. But if you know that your spouse would be happy in heart and soul if you did a particular thing, then it will give you happiness in return. The funerals Arrangements Guatemala are experts in giving you advice about the same.

The funeral Arrangements Guatemala is an affordable deal. You can talk to them to know what is in their package. As you are aware of the person’s last wish, it will be easy for you to take a decision. A person can never live with you forever hence you will need to accept the fact that as time moves on we all have to leave the world. There is no certain time that death will strike and hence to avoid hassles you can bank on the services of funeral arrangers. It will really be great to sit down and discuss the things you want for the memorial service and learn more about novel ideas you can have the memorial service.

It is indeed a good thing for you to just be with your relatives and understand what the funeral Arrangements Guatemala have in their package. You can call on them and talk to them about your concerns. If your relative liked a particular color or a flower, you can have it ordered. They value your emotional situation and hence will help you out. Memorial cards, engravings and also excellent speeches can be framed with their help. If you want to know more, you can write to them and get a gist of the things they are into. Mourning is private and hence they will not bother you with many details except while securing approvals.

The funeral Arrangements Guatemala works out for people from various strata. If you think that a large crowd will be gathered for the funeral, then you can arrange it in their home. They will show you pictures and testimonials about the various funerals they conduct and that will give you confidence. It is so much necessary to understand the feelings of the person whom you were close too. The fact that they are no more may depress you but knowing that you have honored their last wish will give you peace of mind. You can talk to their manager to understand the pricing.

A person who is no more will always be missed. Are you thinking how to give a good memorial service but are not able to come out with a novel idea? Do not worry as the best is available with Guatemala funeral arrangers. They will talk to you over the phone and come down at a convenient time. It is quite common nowadays for people to plan their own funeral so that there is more clarity. Several people with terminal illness also like to express their last wish and it is such an honor for the family to respect the same.  Adjusting with your time and situation, they will offer you a package and also heed with your demands and decisions. It is certainly worthwhile to meet them up.

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on servicio funerario Guatemala and funerarias Guatemala, visit his site today.

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The funeral Arrangements Guatemala is an excellent way to depend on someone to execute the funeral arrangements if you are bogged down with several things to do owing to a relative’s death. They are highly professional and you will certainly like their approach. Choosing a package is easy but if you want a particular inscription on the grave or a certain special thing to be done you can talk to them. Do look into their packages and quotes so that you know the cost earlier. It is a tough time for you and your relatives when you hear the sudden demise of a close relative. Life has its own ways but for burial and cremation needs you can take up the service of this reliable agency.

The funeral Arrangements Guatemala is highly professional. If you know that you have to honor the last wish of a relative then you can call them for a discussion. They will also come over to your home to talk about the same. It is good to also refer the plans to the person who is unwell and take his or her approval. In fact that is one of the best things you can do. We all live in dignity and respect but death too needs to have the same touch. The best part about the service is that they are experienced and will give you a lot of variations which you certainly approve of.

Are you looking for a cremation ceremony for a relative? That should be easy and you can also enquire about the memorial service packages they have. The funeral Arrangements Guatemala is very prompt in their service as they value your time. They understand your state of emotional turmoil and hence they extend the care and service to you immediately. If you are looking for some engraving on the grave, that will be arranged too. While you want the best for your relative who is no more, you will be amazed at the offers and variations given by them. It is certainly worthwhile to listen to their presentation.

Talking about the services of funeral Arrangements Guatemala, you will know that they have a varied profile and hence you can also arrange a burial service. Depending on your choice they will give you many options. Your eyes may be sad and your heart must be weeping thinking about the good deeds of the person who is no more. But it is so very essential to understand that life is about giving and receiving blessings. The relative who is no more has fulfilled his worldly duties and needs and his or her soul must rest in peace. A perfect burial or a cremation service highlights the fact that you love him or her so much and hence are engaging the best service for them.

Arranging the funeral of a relative can be very stressful especially if you are not prepared. The relative must have died in an accident or owing to a sudden illness and you may be in shock initially. Just ring up funeral Arrangements Guatemala and you will get the right answer to handle the situation. They will send their representative and you can talk to them in length to understand the modus operandi. It is tough to believe that death has overcome your loved one but it is a sincere effort from your side to arrange the funeral of a person. Time will lessen your grief but at the same time you will always remember them in your life.

Some people opine that burial is the traditional way to go about funerals. But it certainly is the choice of the family. Do you remember the demised person ever talking to you about their last wish? That can be easily honored and if it is burial then you can simply arrange for the same. Many people are now looking into cremation as a funeral and few also would like to preserve the ashes in an urn. This is a very sentimental issue and the agency can give you suggestions about how to preserve the ashes. You can even have it scattered in the sea or also scatter it in your garden.

With help from such a reputed service, you can take care of your other relatives or kids who are now in state of deep emotional turmoil. You will need to be strong and you can certainly talk to the agency about your concerns. If you want something to be handled urgently you can tell them to prioritize the same. Other things like preened service can also be done especially for a person who is lost his or her life in an accident. This will be a good way to present a funeral. Most of chores are done by them including documentation that will surely take some burden off your shoulders.

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funeral home Guatemala and funerales Guatemala, visit his site today.

We all have ideas of how we want to be remembered when we die – some of us want to be seen as the loving people we claim to be while others want to be seen as heroes.  In either case, we seldom want people to remember us as sick, handicapped or in pain, even if we truly were.  

It is always good to spell out as much as possible how we want our funeral to be.  It makes the whole process easier for the loved ones we leave behind and if they are not the ones making the arrangements, it definitely gives the hired funeral director a kick start in the right direction.  

Funeral arrangements Guatemala style have the same basic rules as a funeral in any other country – there are laws to observe and follow as well as important cultural traditions to respect.  These may pertain to:

- The procedures involved in obtaining a Guatemalan death certificate 

- When the body must be buried or cremated

- When embalming should be done

- Where cremations can be done

Sometimes, perfectly-laid funeral arrangements can go awry with some “special” requests from the deceased.  This may make the planning a little tougher or easier, depending on these demands.  Some may request to be cremated and scattered, for instance, which means we have to include plans to scatter ashes in our funeral arrangements.  Other requests include being buried in a plot next to family, which will make everything super difficult if the plot was not pre-booked or bought.  

Following last will and requests generally aim to make funeral planning smoother and more often than not, they do.  With so many people involved in any one funeral, there will definitely be differences of opinion regarding arrangements such as a burial versus cremation, to embalm or not and if the deceased were a foreigner, whether or not to ship the body back to the country of origin.  Following the requests of the deceased will reduce the amount of squabbles that may arise amongst family members. 

This is the main reason why many people make their funeral wishes known.  Having as many persons as possible know whether to bury or cremate, and then whether to house or scatter makes it easier for all to make arrangements.  Of course, if there had been earlier arrangements made to accommodate these special wishes, it would make everything even easier.  

On the other hand, having wishes that are too specific can make funeral arrangements very difficult, sometimes impossible.  In Guatemala, where it is law that a body be buried within 24 hours if it is not embalmed, it may not be possible to find a burial plot in that short a time.  And having a deceased’s special request to be buried next to another family member may be outrightly impossible.  What would inevitably happen is that we go running around in a mad, futile rush, instead of spending time on other equally important matters like arranging the wake and prayers.  

Other requests such as shipping the body overseas are also challenging.  Without proper documentation, this will be disallowed.  Paperwork that will be needed if this is to be done include the names of the person shipping the body and doctor who confirms the death, as well as the home, hospital or hospice where the deceased passed away.  This means there is whole lot of running around for the official stamping and justification of all documents before an actual flight can be booked.   On top of that, the deceased must be one of these to the one accompanying the body: 

- Spouse 

- Son, daughter, brother, sister, mother or father (including in-laws)

- Adopted or foster sibling or child 

- Aunt or uncle 

- Ward who has been adopted legally 

- Legal guardian 

The good news is that the airlines do offer Compassion or Bereavement Fares for shipment out of Guatemala.  And even if we were not aware of the concession at the time of the flight, we are allowed to make a claim and refund for the difference between the purchase fare and compassion fare, subject to terms and conditions, naturally.  

Just shipping the body to the United States will cost about $7,000 and this does not include burial plots, cremation procedures, urns or columbrium space.  With this in mind, and all the other costs that may come into the picture, it is the living family members who may have to make the final decision on funeral arrangements.  

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on cementerio Guatemala and servicios funerarios, visit his site today. 

It is not easy to plan a funeral.  The reason why some funerals are very well-organized and others are not is usually because either they have employed a funeral director or experience in dealing with such events.  

Some things that add to the difficulties of planning a funeral include: 

- National laws

- Cultural customs and traditions

- Procedures required by law in acquiring the death certificate 

- Immediate family members and relatives who are far away and difficult to reach

- Weather conditions 

Funeral arrangements Guatemala style is further complicated by the fact that if you do not embalm the body, you will have to bury it within 24 hours by law.  Literally translated, this means you are breaking the law and liable to face charges if you exceed this timeline.  This means you have to reach as many relatives as possible within a short time frame – something we know can be pretty impossible.  

Because there is no refrigerated morgue in the country, it is preferred that all bodies be embalmed to give mourning families enough time to reach everybody they need to speak to regarding the funeral.  With embalming, there is no specific time period for further disposal through a burial or cremation.  If this is to be done, it needs to be executed within 24 hours.  

With this, you can see that if it is truly difficult to reach all your relatives and friends, it may be a better idea to embalm the body in Guatemala.  

After the decision of embalming is settled, you now need to think of the next step – burial or cremation.  And again, after that, whether the site will remain in Guatemala or shipped off to another country.  In cases of a cremation, you need to figure out if you want the urn of ashes to be in a columbrium, at home or scattered.  

Many of these decisions stem from the deceased’s wishes and the rest by those closest to them.  If scattering the ashes needs to be done and its location determined, find out if you need a permit to do so.  Some countries consider this to be illegal without one and the last thing you want is to squabble with the authorities midway through the ritual.  If possible, find out while you are making actual funeral arrangements so you can arrange a date for the scattering while family is there.  This reduces the need to reach everybody all over again.  

Between burial and cremation, it is often cheaper to bury a body.  On the other hand, it often requires maintenance in the long run.  With a burial plot, you need to carve out (and in most cases, design) a headstone for the plot and ensure some kind of maintenance for the spot.  You may have seen some very unkempt plots that look like the deceased is not loved by family and have vowed that you would not do the same or have your plot look like that next time.  

In Guatemala, this is an issue taken very seriously.  If a plot is neglected by family members for six years, the remains are removed to a common grave along with the remains of the other equally neglected deceased.  While this may seem cold and uncaring, it saves the nation from wasting much-needed land space and ensures enough burial plots for families who may need them in the future.  

This is why some people choose to be cremated.  It greatly reduces the need for long-term care and attention.   Cremation may seem a little more costly – you would have to pay for the cremation procedure, urn and columbrium space which may cost a few thousand.  In the long run, however, it is a lot more convenient and manageable, with almost no maintenance whatsoever required.  

To do a cremation, when organizing funeral arrangements Guatemala style, make sure you have the necessary documentation so you can proceed without interruption.  These documents are: 

1. Guatemalan death certificate 

2. Your identification papers and/or document(s) 

3. Identification papers and/or document(s) for the deceased – this is especially important if the deceased is a foreigner

4. Receipt of payment for the cremation ceremony, if prepaid.  Otherwise, payment is usually done just before the ceremony.  

There are only 2 funeral homes in Guatemala who are allowed to cremate remains.  Before you proceed with your funeral arrangements, make sure they are fully licensed by the government to do so.  

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on servicio funerario Guatemala and servicio funerario Guatemala, visit his site today. 

Although people all over the globe today are increasingly choosing cremation, in the Christian world, burial is still by far the most preferred method for disposition of mortal remains. In its simplest form, it involves placing the body in a pit or trench dug for such purpose and then covering it over with earth. However, unless there is a war or a natural calamity where thousands of bodies need to be disposed quickly, people generally put such bodies first inside a casket and then bury them with proper rites. Naturally, such practices keep the body safer, but have quite a few disadvantages as well. 

The first major disadvantage is that, the use of caskets have increased the cost of the burial quite a few folds; indeed, good caskets does not come cheap and when one loses somebody dear, one tends to go for the most expensive one. However, the question is, is there such thing as a good casket? Moreover, if there is indeed one, is there really any justification in investing so much in a so-called good casket? If you ask anybody, they will provide an ambiguous answer; they will not want to hurt your sentiments.

However, the staffs at Funeral Arrangements Guatemala are more honest in this regard. Know that caskets today are made mainly out of the following materials:

• Metal - Caskets made out of metal such as bronze, copper, stainless steel are very popular for their unique finishes. Among them, bronze and copper are naturally non-rusting and so the caskets made out of them are not only beautiful but also durable. Stainless and carbon steel caskets are comparatively less so; but they come in a variety of grades, gauges, styles and finishes.

• Wood – Wooden caskets are made out of a variety of hardwood such as mahogany, walnut, cherry, maple, oak, pecan, poplar and pine. Many with finer taste often choose them for their warmth and beauty.

• Biodegradable Materials - Caskets made out of cardboard, corrugated fiberboard, pressed wood or softwoods are popular with people who prefer green burial. These generally come lined with cloth. In addition, they are modestly priced.

Another important fact to understand is that the caskets cannot really prevent rotting of the body. That happens in the due course. Durable and strong caskets can at the most save the remains from animals, which often dig tunnels into the earth and may get at the remains. However, if the grave is deep enough, there is no fear of that either. Moreover, in countries such as United States, use of a burial vault as added protection is also in practice. Such vaults can also prevent the animals from getting at the remains.

Now, what these burial vaults actually are? These are actually outer covering for a casket and are made out of concrete, plastic or metal. Unlike a burial or grave liner, which is placed above the casket, the vaults actually enclose the entire casket and thus provide added security to the body. For proper burial, the body is first placed inside the casket; the casket is then placed inside the vault and the body, casket and the vault are buried all together. 

Use of burial vaults has become mandatory in many US cemeteries. Indeed, such vaults not only protect the casket form collapsing under the weight of the earth, it also prevents the earth from sinking over the grave. Most of all, with such vaults in place, you no longer need expensive caskets to protect the remains. However, it has disadvantages too. 

Although they cannot prevent decomposition of the body, they can put off its return to the elements by creating obstruction. Indeed, many religions discourage not only the use of such vaults, but also the use of durable caskets for such a reason. Moreover, environmentalists too are up against them because they cause soil pollution. Indeed, the green cemeteries do not encourage use of either the vaults or the durable caskets. They require the body to be buried either in biodegradable caskets or wrapped in shroud.   

However, when somebody we love dies, our focus as expected lies only on providing him or her with a grand farewell. In such a case, we naturally choose the best casket that we can afford. Indeed, the satisfaction of seeing your loved one dressed up in his or her best clothes sleeping peacefully in a beautiful casket has no parallel at all. In this respect, investing in a durable and uniquely made casket does have some value. Now you know of different types of casket, it is up to you to decide what we actually want.   

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on servicios funerarios Guatemala and funeraria Guatemala, visit his site today. 

 

If you think that funerals are useless expenditure that should be done away with, you are wrong. May be you are an atheist who have no faith in pastoral blessings or prayers; but that does not mean that you should do away with the ceremony all together. Such rituals are essential both for the mourned and mourners. The soul, which lives on despite the death of the body, finds solace in the fact that they are still being remembered. If you find that fanciful, you at least should admit that a properly arranged funeral gives the mourner the opportunity to pay their last respect and to relive old memories, which in turn helps to lessen their grief.  Indeed, there are different types of memorial plans available today; all you have to do is to pick up the one you think will suit you most. Many people buy preneed plans for their own death while they are still alive. Therefore, the first thing to determine is whom it is for; for you or for a loved one who has recently passed away. In either case, the basic consideration is the same. The ceremony should be so planned that it provides solace both to the mourner and to the mourned. 

If you live in Guatemala, you can contact directors at Funeral Arrangements Guatemala to know about different plans available for different people with different way of thinking and religious belief. Whatever plan you choose, make sure that:

• It honors, recognizes and celebrates the life that has just passed away

• It allows friends, family and associates to say their last good-byes

• It provides closure after such a traumatic experience

From a secular point of view, providing closure is the most important function of a funeral ceremony. If you are not aware, closure is a comforting and satisfying sense of finality. Indeed, accepting the death of a near one is never easy. A properly planned funeral helps the mourners to accept what is inevitable. We must understand that a funeral is nothing but an occasion where family and friends gather not only to pay tribute to the life that was, but also to support each other at such a difficult time. People with religious bend of mind often include prayers and blessings by the clergy. If you want, you can exclude that from your program. 

In general, the Christian mourning procedure starts with the wake and ends with a burial service and each stage include a prayer service. Today of course, a large percentage of population opts for cremation. If you are not aware, cremation involves burning of the dead body at high temperature in closed furnace called crematorium. At the completion of the process, the cremated remain is handed over in an urn. You now have four choices:

• bury  the urn containing the ashes in memorial gardens of your local cemetery or anywhere you find suitable

• strew the ashes on land or water

• keep it at home

• turn into items such as jewelry for regular use

Therefore, we see that before you buy any plan, you must first decide the mode of final disposition of the body. The cost of the plan will depend partly on such choice. Although to cremate the body you need to pay certain fees, it still comes much cheaper. You need neither to pay for the burial plot nor to buy any casket. Most funeral homes lend caskets for the wake or the funeral service and so the expenditure is much less. 

The cost of the plans also depends largely on the details they involve. Many people keep the expenditure in the forefront while choosing the mode of the final disposition, not because they have no money or are thrifty; they do that because they believe they can now leave their money for purposes that are more productive. 

Other than money, scarcity of land and the fear of abuse later on also drive many into opting out for cremation. However, opting for green burial is also an alternative. Under such plan, instead of being buried in expensive caskets, these people choose to be buried in a simple coffin made of cardboard or other biodegradable material. Moreover, instead of conventional cemeteries, they prefer to be buried in what is known as ‘eco-cemeteries’ and instead of gravestones, they have trees planted on the grave. While the stress under the traditional burial system is on preservation of the remains for as long as possible, the green burials put the emphasis on returning the body to dust as fast as is possible. As I said, there are different plans for different people. Talk to the funeral home directors to be aware of them all.

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funeraria Guatemala and funerales Guatemala, visit his site today. 

 

You have lived your life the way you wanted to and have made important decisions by yourself; when you die, will you still have the choice of what you want to be done with your body? The answer to this is yes. You can decide on what you want to be done to your body in the event of your death. 

You can legally state your wishes regarding your funeral arrangements when you die by stating what you want and what your preferences are through your last will and testament. Once you have stated your preferences through your will and have your attorney go through it, your family will have no choice but to follow your wishes as best as they can. However, there may be instances when the living family’s wishes may seem more appropriate than the last wishes of the dead. When this occurs, there becomes a dilemma of who should be followed. Should we follow the last will of the dead, or the living family’s wishes when it comes to funeral arrangements?

There are two sides to this dilemma. The first side is the side of the person who died. If the person died with his/her mind or mental capacity still intact, he or she knows exactly what he/she wants for his/her funeral arrangements. The person can indicate in his/her last will and testament the following preferences:

• Does he/she want to be buried or cremated? This may be hard to resolve especially if the wish of the dead does not agree with the wishes of the living family. For example, if the person wishes to be cremated upon his/her death but the family wants him/her to be buried alongside relatives who were buried in the past. This will be especially hard if the person who died will be the first one in the family to be cremated. 

• Where he/she wants to be buried. A problem will often arise when choosing where the person wants to be buried. A family who has a family lot in a cemetery will want to have the dead be buried in their lot as well. However, the person may choose to be buried in another location such as a favourite place. For example, if the person who died has a family, the spouse of that person may want to have the dead buried near their home. On the other hand, if the person who died still has living parents, his/her parents may also want the dead to be buried in their family lot. Without a will indicating the person’s preferences for the location, his/her parents and spouse will argue on the cemetery location. 

• Who he/she wants to be at the wake or memorial service. A last will and statement documenting the person’s funeral preferences will also give details to who he/she wants to attend the wake and the atmosphere of the memorial or funeral service. 

If there is a dilemma on what should be followed, the last will of the dead or the living family’s wishes on the funeral arrangements such as funeral arrangements Guatemala; funeral parlours will follow the state laws. In the United States, more than half of the states issue a statutory obligation for survivors of the dead to honor the wishes of the deceased as written in his/her will. However there are a few states in which the wishes of the deceased may be over-turned by the living family’s wishes especially if the case involves cremation. US Courts will routinely support the last will of the deceased except if the preferences of the deceased are absurd and outrageous. 

In order for a person to make sure that his/her funeral preferences are followed, he/she should include in his/her will a designated agent. This agent will make sure that the living family will not interfere with what the deceased person wants. 

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on servicio funerario Guatemala and servicio funerario Guatemala, visit his site today.

 

Many cultures around the world believe that death, like child birth is all but a natural part of life. The cycle of life starts with the conception of life until that life becomes old enough to die. Different cultures have varied beliefs and rituals for honouring and burying their dead loved ones.These rituals may appear to be strange for some cultures but the culture adhering to them have done so for many generations and may continue to do so for generations more. 

In the United States and most other western cultures, the traditional way of handling a death in the family is through a funeral service which involves the viewing of the body in an open casket. The amount of time allotted for the viewing usually lasts for 3 to 7 days in order to allow geographically-distant relatives and friends of the deceased to pay their last respects. After the wake or the viewing period is over, the body is then transported from the place of viewing to a cemetery where it may either be buried underground or above ground like in a mausoleum. Depending on the religion of the dead person and his/her family, the body may be transported to a church for a final sermon before finally laying the body in a cemetery. 

In today’s modern times, alternative ways of disposing the dead has come up. One of these ways is through the process of cremation. This process involves the burning of the body until it turns completely to ashes. After the body has been incinerated, large remains such as bone fragments are grinded to a fine texture. These fine-textured ashes are then contained inside an urn which can either be placed inside a columbarium or at a home of the remaining living relatives. 

Cremation actually is not a new method. Ancient cultures and other cultures have long kept the tradition of burning their dead to ashes. They believe that the smoke created by burning the body will quickly bring the souls of the dead to the heavens. Although this method had been around for ages, this method was banned by the Catholic Church during the renaissance period because of the linking of the process to paganism. The use of cremation for the disposal of the dead was later allowed by the Catholic Church. However, the Catholic Church still favours the traditional burial over cremation. 

The popularity of cremating the dead is increasing in the United States. In the year 2004, the cremation rate was estimated to be at 30.88 percent of all deaths. Hawaii had the highest cremation rate with 67.5 percent of all deaths being cremated. Four other US States that have high cremation rates are Nevada with 67.2 %, Washington with 62.86 %, Oregon with (61.91%) and Arizona with 59.14%. People who chooses cremation over burial states the following reason for their choice:

Cremation is a more practical choice over the traditional burial. Choosing cremation will significantly lessen the cost that the family will have to shoulder for the disposal of their dearly departed loved ones. A cremation such as the one that is performed through funeral arrangements Guatemala is estimated to be just a fraction of the cost (1/4) of what you have to pay for a burial. 

Choosing a cremation will also not restrict you with time to arrange for memorial or funeral services. With a traditional burial where a viewing is included, you have to organize the service and make sure relatives and friends of the deceased pay their last respects before the body starts to decompose. Even if the body has been prepared by the funeral parlour, the body needs to be buried as soon as possible. However, with a cremation, you can immediately cremate the body and have a memorial service with the ashes at a later time which would be convenient to all. 

People who chooses cremation over burial also notes that with cremation, distant relatives can share being with the ashes of their loved ones. For example, if a parent dies and was cremated, the urn containing his/her ashes may be passed around his/her children. This goes well with geographically-distant siblings. 

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funerarias Guatemala and contratos funerarios, visit his site today.

Losing somebody younger to death can be a heartbreaking experience. It is bad enough when one loses a younger sibling, but it becomes far more heart wrenching when it is their child that they lose. Moreover, such death is not only hard for the parents; their well-wishers too suffer along with them. You do not know what to say at a time such as this, but you just cannot leave them alone either. Yes, if you know somebody who has lost his child, do not try to console him or her; Loss such as this is inconsolable. Just be there with them; that will be sufficient.

However, this is true only in case where your interaction with the grieving family is not very intimate. In such a case, you can at the most send flowers; attend the visitation as well as the actual funeral procedure, both at the funeral home and at the cemetery; but that is all you can do. If you must speak, say that you are sorry that this has happened; but refrain from saying that you understand how they feel. That is because you really do not understand how they feel; in fact, nobody who has not lost a child can. The pain is so deep.

At the same time, allow me to add that, if you have not visited any cemetery in Guatemala, you have missed an experience of a lifetime. Indeed cemetery Guatemala offers a wide variation in style and they reflect the multilayered strata of the country. This allows the grieving family to choose the type that will suit it most. You will find tourists visiting them as well; indeed, a visit to the country cannot be complete without a visit to its cemeteries. 

However, all this is beside the point; let us get back to it. As I was saying, losing a child can be worst experience for a parent and so it is natural that such death often leaves them devastated. If you have been intimate with the grieving family, you can do quite a lot for them at a time like this. If the parent had already bought a preened plan for the child, there will be less to do. However, very few people are willing to visualize the death of his child and so in most cases, they do not even think of getting one; consequently, there is usually a lot to do.

The first thing one need to do is to get the necessary papers from the required authorities. Then one has to arrange a proper funeral. Indeed, it is very difficult for the parents to get involved in the funeral procedure of their child. Nothing can be better if somebody close to them takes up the responsibility. However, if you are the one, do not keep them out the picture all together. In most cases, the parents refuse to accept the inevitable; getting them involved in the procedure can help them to realize the truth and accept the fact that their child is no more.

However, if you contact some reputed funeral home, they will do the job for you. Indeed, funeral homes have made the job of arranging the last rites less hassling for the mourners. If you ask them, they will take up all the responsibilities such as: 

• collection of the relevant papers 

• embalming the body for proper preservation

• arranging visitations as well as memorial services in accordance with the wishes of their clients

• arranging transportation to the burial ground

• overseeing the burial service 

Anyway, helping to arrange the funeral exactly how the parents want is only one part of it. There are other ways you can help them too. If the death has been sudden, the parents may be so heartbroken that they may stop functioning all together. Under such circumstances, spending time with them is very essential. You do not have to talk to them; just be there; do the chores if necessary. Soon you will find them coming out of their shell. It is a natural process.

However, sometimes the parent, especially mothers take longer to come out of their grief. This happens more in case where he or she was the only child or the death had been very sudden.  In such a case, one has to motivate her to try to come out of her grief. Make sure she goes out more often to meet people. She can also be persuaded to get involved with charity work. Taking up a job or enrolling in some course is another option. If all fails, she can resort to counseling. In short, she has to come out of the grief and start life afresh; as a well-wisher it is your duty to see that she does. 

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on servicios funerarios Guatemala and funerales Guatemala, visit his site today.

Today making preeneed funeral arrangement is a common practice. If you look around, you will find that, more or less everybody today has bought some preeneed plan to take care of his (or her) last rites while he (or she) is still alive. Such plans offer quite a few advantages:

• Because you are paying now, the cost can be locked up at today’s level.

• Such an arrangement will spare the mourners from the responsibility of arranging a funeral, which is not an easy job to do when somebody you love has just died.

• Lastly, you can have the type of funeral you want. If you make preened arrangements with funeral homes, your wishes will be followed to the letter.

For making preeneed funeral arrangements Guatemala has quite a few reputed funeral homes. If you still have not made any such arrangements, start your search by visiting all funeral homes in your area. If you like their setting, talk to the director there. They must have quite a few different plans; it is important than you should weigh each plan carefully before you select any.   

One important point that you have to decide right now is how you will like your mortal remains to be finally disposed. It is a fact that in Guatemala, burial is the usual method. That is because the majority people here are Roman Catholic and burial is the usual method of disposal of the dead body for the Christians. However, that does mean that cremation has been proscribed either. It has always been left as viable alternative, especially in case of war or during epidemics such as plague.

To tell you the truth, cremation was in practice even in Europe before the 5th century CE; but soon after that, burial began to become more in vogue. That Charlemagne went to the extent of criminalizing cremation in 789 CE proves that it was in practice even then. However, nothing could actually abolish it all together. The practice began to resurface again and again. However, it was not until nineteenth century that widespread interest in cremation as a method of disposal of the dead body actually resurfaced. 

Today, a large percentage of Christians actually prefers to cremate their dead rather than to bury them.  They say, rapid industrialization and consequence urbanization of the land is partially responsible for that. Today, in any city, the number of dead is actually far greater than the burial plots available within its vicinity and burial grounds are forever hard-pressed to accommodate more dead than they actually can. The church too is no longer blind to such difficulties. Indeed, the Roman Catholic Church too has accepted cremation as method of disposal of the body, provided you believe in resurrection and final judgment. You see, God does not need your bones to resurrect you for that.

Indeed, availability of land, especially in a country as Guatemala is a big issue. More and more people today rightly believe that land should be left for the living and to respect such sentiments, more and more fully mechanized crematoriums are being set up in different parts of the country. If you visit them, you will find that bodies are being cremated in closed furnaces in a very healthy and scientific way. Indeed cremation does not allow the diseases to spread and so is healthier by far.

Finance is also another reason why cremation is gaining popularity today. Indeed burial is an expensive affairs. You not only need to buy the burial plot, but also the casket. Good caskets do not really come cheap these days and so the entire cost becomes quite high. Cremation on the other hand does not require you to buy anything. Funeral homes generally provide caskets on hire on such occasions and so you will not have to waste your hard-earned money on such thing. You can now leave more for your dependents or for some other purpose close to your heart. 

However, it does not mean that burial does not have any merit. It gives the survivor a place where they can feel close to the departed soul.  When they feel lonely or troubled, they can have a place to visit and give vent to their emotions. How you look at such things depends entirely upon you; but don’t you think it is far better to have your mortal remains cremated than to have it buried in less than perfect condition in small cramped burial plots or apartment blocks? Indeed, you can decide on such things only if you make preeneed arrangements. It gives you the scope to think rationally.

Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funeraria Guatemala and funerarias Guatemala, visit his site today.