I Wish I Would Have…

My Dearest Daughter,

As I write this letter, I can already feel the weight of my absence pressing upon you. There is so much I wish I could have told you, so many moments I wish I could have shared with you. But now, as you face the daunting task of being my Executor, I realize how much I have failed to prepare you for what lies ahead.

I am deeply sorry for not leaving you the information you need to make solid, informed decisions about my funeral, my wishes, and my estate. I should have organized everything, laid out my intentions clearly, and ensured that you had all the necessary details. But in my procrastination and perhaps denial, I left you with uncertainties and complexities that you now must untangle on your own.

You are now faced with decisions that I should have made easier for you. The stress and time it will take to sort through my affairs, to understand what I wanted, and to navigate the legal and financial intricacies, weighs heavily on my heart. I apologize for the burden it places on you, and for the emotional toll it will undoubtedly take.

Please know that my love for you is unwavering and that I have always been proud of the person you have become. Your strength, your resilience, and your compassion are qualities that I admire deeply. Though I may not be here to guide you through this process, I believe in your ability to handle it with grace and determination.

I wish I could have spared you this hardship. I wish I could have left you with clarity and peace instead of questions and confusion. But even in this, I hope you find some solace in knowing that I trust you implicitly, and that I am with you in spirit, supporting you every step of the way.

Forgive me, my dear, for these mistakes I've made. And know that you are loved beyond measure.

With all my love,

Dad

While this letter is fictional, it is based on the situations and conversations that we as funeral professionals observe daily in serving bereaved families.

So often we see the guilt that those left behind feel as they try to guess what their loved one would have wanted. Not only does it lead to feelings of regret, but it also creates further complexities in an already hard situation. Grief becomes complex, as well.

What if there was a better way? 

Park Memorial recently partnered with Canadian-owned Cadence, a company from Saskatchewan that offers an online platform that helps families to avoid situations like these. The Legacy Planner platform provides a safe, digital vault so that all of the documents and decisions that your Executor will need to close your estate will be actionable and available when needed. Eliminating the guesswork and guilt that comes with not knowing your loved one’s last wishes means that they will be better able to grieve and heal after your loss.

We understand that the decision to make sure that your loved ones have no guilt or guesswork by preplanning your funeral and establishing your end-of-life wishes is a difficult one, and we honour your commitment to doing so. Park Memorial is proud to make this decision even easier and more meaningful for every family that we serve with Cadence at Park Memorial. We believe in this platform’s ability to save families stress, time, and guesswork so much that we include it in our services for every person who pre-arranges their funeral with us. It’s one more way that our Park Memorial family cares for your family.

Click here to learn more about Cadence and how to cut through the confusion using our new, cutting-edge online preplanning tool.