Skip to content
Life
Link copied to clipboard

She wants siblings to get final kiss-off by mail

During Mom's and Dad's funerals, I was dismayed at the degree of tension and bickering among us. I am now dealing with an incurable illness that will shorten my life considerably. I have no desire to put my husband through a funeral hosting a family who never liked him. I prefer to be cremated, and a handwritten letter be sent to each of my siblings after the fact.

DEAR ABBY: I have four siblings. We get along fine as long as we're apart.

During Mom's and Dad's funerals, I was dismayed at the degree of tension and bickering among us. I am now dealing with an incurable illness that will shorten my life considerably. I have no desire to put my husband through a funeral hosting a family who never liked him. I prefer to be cremated, and a handwritten letter be sent to each of my siblings after the fact.

Is this selfish? I didn't have a happy childhood, and my siblings contributed to that.

- Keeping it Simple

DEAR KEEPING IT SIMPLE: I don't think your wishes are selfish. You're entitled to exit the stage of life in the manner you choose. Because you prefer to bid your siblings goodbye in handwritten letters, go ahead and do it.

If I have any advice to offer it is that your husband should continue to maintain a healthy distance from your siblings after your death. You can't prevent them from having whatever reaction they choose, considering the level of dysfunction in your family. It's not unusual for survivors to react with anger after a death, and your husband should not take it personally if they do.

DEAR ABBY: My aunt "Stacey" has what they call salt-and-pepper-colored hair. We have suggested many times that she dye it, but she doesn't want to have to keep up with it. Recently, someone asked her 14-year-old daughter if that was her grandmother!

Aunt Stacey will be coming for a visit soon and we want to surprise her with a hair dye. How should we go about it?

- Kristy in New Jersey

DEAR KRISTY: Don't do it, or the people who get surprised could be you and whoever else has concocted this hairbrained scheme. Not all women want to color their hair. Some would prefer to avoid the expense, and others become allergic to the hair dye. My advice is to appreciate your aunt for the person she is and forget about trying to change her image.