reality check!

"Oh, honey when I die

Dress me up in a coat and tie

Give my feet a pair of shoes

That I haven't worn in a long time

Put me in a golden box

Not a cross on a pile of rocks

Bury me where the grass is green

And the gates are shining..."

The quoted text above is the chorus to the lyrics from a song entitled "Poor Man's Grave" by a band called the Eraserheads. The melody to this song is so good that I can't help but sing along; however, if I would have to look deeper, it would cause me to think "is it really necessary to have a grand funeral"? I believe it wouldn't matter anymore when we're dead. However, the fact remains that it is important for most families to bury their dead with a decent funeral. It's like a form of last respect for a dead loved one. Personally, I came from a family who didn't have the benefit of a good insurance. I remember when one would get sick, we can't expect dad's insurance benefit to cover all the medical expenses. In fact, when mom got hospitalized and was diagnosed with brain aneurysm, we were really a helpless family, financially and emotionally. The company insurance benefit that I had when I was still working in an office won't be able to help her because only the spouse and children are covered, and parents aren't. Fortunately, since family will always be family, my mom's sister helped out and almost shouldered everything, from hospitalization down to funeral expenses. I was thinking won't things have changed if we have considered getting a funeral insurance when we still have more years to prepare for it? Isn't it a good idea to be prepared so that when the reality of death happens, loved ones or the surviving family will no longer have to worry about looking for money so we can have a decent burial? Oh well, if it is something that we can afford to pay monthly, why not? However, if the family budget will not allow it, then we probably have to be content with the kind of burial that the family can afford.