It happens every year. Business slows down around Thanksgiving and we coast through the Christmas season. I like that predictable cycle because it gives me a chance to focus on my family and the spirit of the season. One to two weeks prior to death, disorientation becomes more evident. Sleeping is more prevalent. My mother spent an increased amount of time sleeping and became uncommunicative, unresponsive, and difficult to arouse at times. This is in part was due to changes in the metabolism of the body. Our loved one processes his or her life with the eyes closed which is the reason for the increase of sleep. The patient can hear what we say so no negativity is accepted. He or she is preparing for their death in a quiet environment. Many children ask if their pet went to heaven or parents will tell their children that the pet is in heaven. This is purely a personal choice based on the family's religious beliefs. But again, it is important for children to realize that going to heaven is permanent, too. The pet will not be returning. For football fanatics, John Butler might ring a bell. He is the general manager of the famous San Diego Chargers. He died at the young age of 56 from lung cancer. Well, don't say goodbye to those photographs. The basis for any funeral slideshow will still be images. Although, a little care in restoring photographs with Photoshop - and some thought as to how you pan across them and where the virtual camera lands will repay you many times over in audience appreciation. And don't forget captions. Haven't we all attended funeral and sat through endless images wondering who it is we are looking at? We care, we are there after all, but who are all these people? Is that the granddaughter; is that the son John who never visited? you ask yourself. But without captions, there are no answers. So, the first thing to include in your knockout slideshow is captions. Next, be selective. Choose what you are going to think about. It's your mind. They are your memories. Set time to remember, and remember all the good things about the person you have loved. Death glances back at the wide swath of ashes that marks her path through the forest. She raises her hands to the skies and shouts an incantation. A single tear glistens on her cheek before the lightning strikes. And then she's gone. funeral program funeral program click to read more
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