Work has me doing a lot of driving this week. I've driven to Sarnia already, and on Friday I'll be driving to Goderich. Driving is actually one part of my job(s) that I really enjoy. I use the time to relax my ever-thinking brain, and just listen to whatever music is playing on whatever radio station that I'm listening to. I get to take in some beautiful scenery as well. While I'm busy not thinking about things, that's usually when some of my best ideas rise to the surface and I can receive them better. I usually have a notebook and a pen on the seat beside me to write those sort of things down. Don't worry, I always pull over to the side of the road or into a parking lot before I start writing.
With the deaths in my family, I've spent some time paying my respects and having visits with family who have gathered to do the same. My mother used to joke that funerals were our family's way of having a reunion, but truthfully, she wasn't far wrong. As a family, we just don't get together as often as anyone would like. We use the opportunity of a funeral to exchange information and phone numbers with one another, with promises of getting together soon. This go around, I'm doing my best to spread the word about a surprise birthday party we are having for the eldest member of our family, uncle Erick. He'll be 75 this year, and my sister has booked a hall for a get together. A much happier occasion to have our family gather.
On a side note, I had to giggle at how woefully unprepared that funeral home was on Tuesday evening. I don't think they had any idea how many people would be gathering for the Legion service and visitation. A typical visitation period would have any number of guests coming and going throughout a two hour period, and I suppose that is what that funeral home is used to. But on Tuesday, about 150 (or more) people descended on the place, promptly sat down and stayed put for the next 2 and a half hours. There wasn't a chair left in the place, so people just stood in the hallways wherever they could find a bare wall to lean against. There wasn't near enough refreshments set out. And the sheer number of children in attendance must have been a shock to them. Our family has never sheltered our children from the realities of death, and they are included in all the proceedings.
I must be off. Today we bury my cousin whom I've always called Auntie. I will miss her.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Is There A Rise In The Number Of Deaths?
My blogger friend Sam over at It's Me, Sam posed a question to me the other day on her blog. She'd been to a couple of funerals and wanted to know :
" Are there particular times of the year where there are more deaths than others? "
The short answer is yes. But maybe not the way you think. There are cyclical predictions that can be made for certain types of deaths, ie. suicide, seasonal illnesses, cancer, motor vehicle accidents, etc.
(See this article for some good reading and nifty charts, and this paper published by Stats-Can for more Canadian charts.)
Now why is that? Good question.
I'm not sure that I have an answer to that, but it has been my experience that the funeral industry as a whole tends to get busier from mid-November until sometime in April. Then it slows down for a period of time. Of course, we can only note trends from the far to recent past, and cannot in any way predict the future. Except maybe to say that overall, the number of deaths will increase over a period of time. Like maybe the next 10 to 20 years.
Some time ago, there was a phenomenon known as the post World War II Baby Boom, 1947 - 1966 in Canada. The Boomers effected everything in their path, from schooling, infrastructure, pension plans and retirement homes to name a few. It is my opinion that they will also affect the funeral industry as a whole as well. I believe that we are in the very beginning of end of life issues for the Boomers, and it will only continue for the next 20 or so years with the increased number of deaths overall, regardless of mode of death.
From The Canadian Encyclopedia: " In 2009, there were approximately 1.3 million people aged 80 or over and by 2036 this could increase to 3.3 million. The aging of the population is projected to accelerate rapidly as more of the baby-boom generation turns 65 and as that happens, the number of senior citizens could exceed the number of children for the first time in Canada's history. "
And this: " Even if there are no further declines in the fertility rate per woman, there will be declines in the total number of births to well below the annual 400 000 and increases above the annual 200 000 deaths until there are more deaths than births. "
The Berlin Institute for Population and Development states in the Demographic Developments in Canada, " What does increase is the number of deaths: the rapid aging of the baby boom generation results in twice as many deaths in 2051 as in 2011, even though the population grows by only one-quarter and mortality rates continue to fall."
There is a growing trend in the funeral industry for families to have less traditional services, and cremation without any sort of service or memorializing is on the rise. Folks want things done as simply and inexpensive as possible, so that they may leave whatever finances are available to their families, and not being "wasted on a box and an elaborate showing off" as one client put it.
Although I truly understand the want for less expense, I don't totally agree on going without any type of service or ceremony. But that's another post for another day.
" Are there particular times of the year where there are more deaths than others? "
The short answer is yes. But maybe not the way you think. There are cyclical predictions that can be made for certain types of deaths, ie. suicide, seasonal illnesses, cancer, motor vehicle accidents, etc.
(See this article for some good reading and nifty charts, and this paper published by Stats-Can for more Canadian charts.)
Now why is that? Good question.
I'm not sure that I have an answer to that, but it has been my experience that the funeral industry as a whole tends to get busier from mid-November until sometime in April. Then it slows down for a period of time. Of course, we can only note trends from the far to recent past, and cannot in any way predict the future. Except maybe to say that overall, the number of deaths will increase over a period of time. Like maybe the next 10 to 20 years.
Some time ago, there was a phenomenon known as the post World War II Baby Boom, 1947 - 1966 in Canada. The Boomers effected everything in their path, from schooling, infrastructure, pension plans and retirement homes to name a few. It is my opinion that they will also affect the funeral industry as a whole as well. I believe that we are in the very beginning of end of life issues for the Boomers, and it will only continue for the next 20 or so years with the increased number of deaths overall, regardless of mode of death.
From The Canadian Encyclopedia: " In 2009, there were approximately 1.3 million people aged 80 or over and by 2036 this could increase to 3.3 million. The aging of the population is projected to accelerate rapidly as more of the baby-boom generation turns 65 and as that happens, the number of senior citizens could exceed the number of children for the first time in Canada's history. "
And this: " Even if there are no further declines in the fertility rate per woman, there will be declines in the total number of births to well below the annual 400 000 and increases above the annual 200 000 deaths until there are more deaths than births. "
The Berlin Institute for Population and Development states in the Demographic Developments in Canada, " What does increase is the number of deaths: the rapid aging of the baby boom generation results in twice as many deaths in 2051 as in 2011, even though the population grows by only one-quarter and mortality rates continue to fall."
There is a growing trend in the funeral industry for families to have less traditional services, and cremation without any sort of service or memorializing is on the rise. Folks want things done as simply and inexpensive as possible, so that they may leave whatever finances are available to their families, and not being "wasted on a box and an elaborate showing off" as one client put it.
Although I truly understand the want for less expense, I don't totally agree on going without any type of service or ceremony. But that's another post for another day.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Big-ish Post / GBU
I haven't been feeling up to snuff lately (emotionally) and blogging took a back seat while I was not just pulling, but yanking myself up by the bootstraps. I have managed to get myself out of this funk that I've been in (for the most part at least) but am worried that some small snag will send me right back to the same place I was before. However...
The Good:
I'm clutching the Christmas money with a death grip, hoping to still have some when it comes time to actually buy gifts.
The Good:
- My Shopper's trip went well. I took DD2 with me so she could see how paying attention to things can make a difference. I got $113.64 worth of merchandise for only $13.64. Go me!
- Hubby won a prize pack from BobFM again. This time he got $50 in gift certificates to a baby/toddler store (can you say Christmas gifts for the grandcub?) and 2 tickets to see The Addams Family Musical in Toronto. Right. Up. Our. Alley.
- Hubby went to Shopper's the other day, and stuck the receipt in his pocket. When I asked why, he said he's going to start tracking his personal expenses on his own. He did ask for a notebook so he could write down what he spends and where. (Did you guys hear the Hallelujah chorus, or was that just me?)
- Some money owed to the business came in, so I was able to pay the rent and something toward the bills without dipping into the Christmas money too much. Can't say that won't happen on later in the month though.
- I have no idea how we are going to pay for daycare for the rest of this month. I've talked to our childcare provider to let her know that if things aren't getting better, I may have to pull the little guy in December. The income I was counting on to pay for childcare hasn't come through just yet, so things are getting tighter and tighter.
- There have been two deaths in my extended family this weekend, so there will be a bit of travelling around the city (funeral homes on either end of the city) and expenses that weren't in our already tight budget. I'm not a very good funeral attendee (I'm used to working instead of attending) and it makes me very uncomfortable when I'm in a funeral home that I don't do work for. It makes me feel awkward.
I'm clutching the Christmas money with a death grip, hoping to still have some when it comes time to actually buy gifts.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Metropolitan Artisans Market
Keeping Kids Warm, the charity that I volunteer with, has a table at The Metropolitan Market every weekend from now until December 18th.
The Met is unique to London. It showcases local artisans, giving them a venue to sell their handmade, handcrafted or vintage wares to folks who are looking for something unique and different than the typical retail goods.
If you are in London, please stop by and visit our booth and support a local charity in a local setting.
The Met is unique to London. It showcases local artisans, giving them a venue to sell their handmade, handcrafted or vintage wares to folks who are looking for something unique and different than the typical retail goods.
If you are in London, please stop by and visit our booth and support a local charity in a local setting.
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