Hillary Clinton has reportedly started making preliminary plans for a future memorial service for her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, following his 80th birthday.
According to tabloid and insider reports, the plans include a traditional funeral Mass at Washington National Cathedral, together with the preparations usually made for a former president’s state funeral.
The reports have raised questions about whether it is appropriate to plan a funeral while a person is still alive.
Elizabeth Hargrove, a spokesperson for Washington National Cathedral, said earlier this year that all living US presidents have state funeral plans in place.
However, the idea of preparing for the funeral of someone who is still alive remains difficult for some people to accept.
The issue was recently discussed by Kenyan radio presenters Maina Kageni and Mwalimu King’ang’i, who had different views on the matter.
Maina Kageni argued that families should be allowed to prepare when death is expected instead of being left to make difficult decisions at the last minute.
“Here, we cannot embrace that! You know this is coming, so why can’t you let your family start the process? This could save them financially and emotionally,” Maina said.
Mwalimu King’ang’i disagreed, questioning whether it is right to begin planning a funeral for someone who is still alive.
“How do you start planning a funeral for someone who is still alive? That’s wrong!” he said.
Their different opinions have started a wider conversation about funeral planning and how families should prepare for death.
For some people, making funeral arrangements in advance is simply a practical decision. It allows a person to explain their wishes and can also reduce the financial and emotional burden placed on relatives after their death.
Others believe such arrangements should be left until death occurs. For them, discussing a funeral while someone is still alive can feel uncomfortable and insensitive.