What I Want for My Funeral

When my husband and I planned for our wedding, we agreed to make sure that our big day will reflect  who we are and what we value. And so it did - the outfits were creatively designed by my husband and his sister, the guests' tables were named after people who influenced us the most, and we had a sweets station where we placed our favorite chocolates and candies since we're kids.

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".