Rebecca Field Jager Pre-Planned with Dignity Memorial

Name: Rebecca Field Jager

Age: 55 … and enjoying a different kind of freedom.

How Zoomers know you: I contribute to Zoomer Magazine covering subjects such as aging in Canada and fun stuff like food and travel.

Have you ever considered pre-planning your funeral? No, I find it difficult to imagine not being here much less planning for it. To go through the process I had to think of it as an event that I’d, um… sleep through.

Who did you meet with? Michelle Methven from Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home

Tell Us About Your Experience: Having been to many funerals – fortunately, mostly to pay respect to older relatives who had lived long and full lives — I was comfortable walking into the funeral home. Michelle’s warmth and openness further put me at ease. She started the conversation by asking me about my life and passions, which provided the framework for my funeral. It would be not just a celebration of life, but of my life.

 

What kind of event did you plan? I thought you’d never ask! I love the city as well as the water so Michelle suggested a canopied affair on Toronto’s Beaches near a rented volleyball court (the only sport I was ever half-good at) with plenty of Cabernet Sauvignon and fancy hor d’oeuvres. To add a touch of melancholy – this is a funeral after all – a songster belting out my beloved Amy Winehouse tunes, and instead of the traditional prayer card, engraved metal luggage tags saying “I’m with you wherever you go.”

 

Did you learn something new about yourself? I try to be grateful but sometimes the only celebration I’m throwing is a pity party. Pre-planning my funeral, and Michelle’s approach to it, put me in full-out gratitude mode.

 

What struck you most about the experience? I find traditional funerals comforting but I’m happy that other options exist for those of us who, well, think out of the box.

Would you recommend pre-planning your funeral? Yes. I don’t want my kids, grief-ridden, to be trying to figure out what’s the right thing to do. I’m their mom and that will always be my job.