WEBVTT - How would you like to be celebrated?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to let people know how you'd like to

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<v Speaker 1>be celebrated. This is smart in general, but in particular

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<v Speaker 1>as we contemplate that we won't always be around to

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<v Speaker 1>share our wishes, So let people know what you would

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate as they remember you when you still can, let

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<v Speaker 1>them know. This episode was inspired by the recent rather

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<v Speaker 1>sudden passing of a fellow choir member. She loved music

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<v Speaker 1>and had specific music she loved, but as no one

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<v Speaker 1>thought she was going anywhere anytime soon, no one knew

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<v Speaker 1>what music she wanted at her funeral. The topic hadn't

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<v Speaker 1>come up. My choir director chose beautiful music based on

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<v Speaker 1>what he knew of her, but he reminded the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of us that we really should have this conversation while

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<v Speaker 1>we can, so maybe you should have it too. If

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<v Speaker 1>you have always known that you would want a certain

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<v Speaker 1>song played, or a certain passage read, or a certain

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<v Speaker 1>person speaking at your funeral, that is not the sort

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<v Speaker 1>of thought to keep in your own brain. By the

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<v Speaker 1>time anyone is planning your funeral, you won't be able

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<v Speaker 1>to share that thought, or maybe you have always thought

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<v Speaker 1>it would be great to have your ashes scattered off

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<v Speaker 1>a boat. If no one else knows that, it is

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<v Speaker 1>quite unlikely that people will decide to do that without

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<v Speaker 1>your specific instructions. Maybe you even have a favorite restaurant

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<v Speaker 1>that you'd like people to gather at after your wake,

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<v Speaker 1>unless it is close to the church or funeral home,

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<v Speaker 1>and unless that's where people usually go, that is not

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<v Speaker 1>going to be an automatic assumption. So put it in

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<v Speaker 1>writing or tell your closest friends and family now. To

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<v Speaker 1>some degree, by the time people are planning your funeral,

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<v Speaker 1>none of this will truly matter to you, after all,

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<v Speaker 1>you won't be there for it, but your friends and

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<v Speaker 1>family will likely feel better and more certain of their

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<v Speaker 1>choices if they know that they are doing what you

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<v Speaker 1>wanted them to do. They will be able to explain

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<v Speaker 1>things to everyone there, and they'll be able to tell

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<v Speaker 1>stories based on those choices, and those will help people

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<v Speaker 1>remember you. So if there are specific ways that you

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<v Speaker 1>would like to be celebrated, share these you can tell

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<v Speaker 1>friends and family, and if you are a member of

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<v Speaker 1>a house of worship, it might be good to get

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<v Speaker 1>these wishes on file. There as they will no doubt

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<v Speaker 1>be involved in all of this. I will put out

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<v Speaker 1>here into the world that I want to chore singing

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<v Speaker 1>at my funeral, ideally one that is good enough to

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<v Speaker 1>satisfactorily perform Herbert Howells take him Earth for cherishing. We

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<v Speaker 1>can just understand that they mean her in this case

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<v Speaker 1>instead of him. I also want an alto soloist with

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<v Speaker 1>a pure and lovely voice, singing the on Us Day

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<v Speaker 1>from Bo's B Minor Mass. If there is time, or

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<v Speaker 1>if the Howel's piece proves too difficult, we could throw

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<v Speaker 1>John Tavner's song for a theme in there. So how

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<v Speaker 1>about you, what would you like people to hear or experience?

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<v Speaker 1>If you have thoughts, don't let those thoughts go with you.

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<v Speaker 1>I hope you'll take this episode as a nudge to

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<v Speaker 1>have this conversation. And I know there are even more

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<v Speaker 1>important ones to have about end of life directives and

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<v Speaker 1>what you're including in your will and so forth. But

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<v Speaker 1>maybe starting with how you would like to be celebrated

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<v Speaker 1>will begin these conversations. And while these conversations are difficult,

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<v Speaker 1>they are good to have. Because the end is inevitable,

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<v Speaker 1>we may as well approach it mindfully. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the

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<v Speaker 1>number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me

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<v Speaker 1>an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com

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<v Speaker 1>That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much. Should I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts

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