Well, being someone who loves to be organized, I thought, why not plan for my funeral? This may scare some people because when I talked to a few friends about this, they thought it was some kind of premonition. However, I don't want to be in the wrong coffin or wrong outfit or surrounded by the wrong flowers when I pass away.
So, here goes my list of what I want for my funeral:
- I have planned to donate all my functional internal organs but please cut me pretty;
- I want a white, glossy and reasonably-priced coffin; I still haven't decided if I want a half-open coffin or one with glass but I'll figure that out later;
- I want to wear my wedding gown just make some adjustments, if needed;
- I want my coffin to be surrounded by 12 dozens of white roses. I don't want tall flowers ogling at me so just have the flowers placed on 12 baskets then spread them around the coffin;
- My favorite sweets as a kid should also be served - LaLa, Hani, Cloud 9, Cadbury;
- I want classical music to be played during the wake and I'd love for Ate Penny to sing "Think of Me" before my burial;
- I prefer that people would donate money to Osmena National Highschool instead of buying me flowers. Please ask my family on how you can send it;
- I want my burial to be around 5 or 6pm so I won't be exposed to too much sun. Yes, I know the coffin will be closed already but that's how I want it. Please respect the dead;
- I would love to be buried beside my Lolo Paking in Surigao but if that's too expensive, I would love to have my own lot and not be shoved in an apartment-type cemetery;
- I want the wake to be as short as possible maybe 2-3 days max because I want my loved ones to move on with their lives since I've certainly moved on the moment I took my last breath;
- My journals are my treasures and I've been keeping one since I was 12. Thus, I want my husband to keep my journals. If we'll be blessed to have kids, I'd love them to read my journals as they grow up so they'd know how I lived my life exuberantly;
- I would love to have Pastor Edwin Imperial or Papa's bestfriend Pastor Rey Cablao to lead the funeral service;
- Gospel hymns to be sang during the service - to follow;
- I'd like the guest book to include what people remember of me and how, if applicable, I became a channel of blessing for them. My loved ones will be blessed to know that I've made an impact on others' lives;
- I don't want sad faces on my wake, come on, lighten up! I want you to celebrate with me the great life that I lived by God's grace and not my passing away;
- I want guests to wear happy colors not black or white especially on my burial - yellow, pink, red, blue will be appreciated;
- I want my epitaph to read:
- Gazelle "Gay" Gonzales Arambulo-dela Pena
8 December 1980 -
"Gay: keenly alive and exuberant; having or inducing high spirits" (Merriam-Webster)
And so she was and she will forever be.
I'm certain that I will add more details as I grow older but in summary, I want my funeral to be a celebration of my life because as what my Christian friends and loved ones would know, I won't be saying goodbye. I'll be saying, "see you soon".