Talking About Death: A Scene from Friends

Have you ever heard of James Sexton? He's a divorce attorney representing high profile people. Although I have no interest whatsoever in going into law or getting a divorce I occasionally listen to interviews that feature him because he brings a perspective that I otherwise wouldn't encounter in my regular day to day. His take on prenuptial and postnuptial agreements is that while most people take insult at the topic, it actually shows mutual respect to address it. He also makes a good point that people tend to be more reasonable when they are in love. If you wait until the relationship is ending and emotions are running high, that is a terrible time to make decisions about livelihood and kids if there are any.

Similarly, I think death is so much easier to talk about when it's far off into the future. Because it's abstract, emotions won't be so intense. Addressing what you want doesn't guarantee that your loved ones will follow through or totally eliminate tensions but it does lessen the load to not have to guess.

Here's a scene from Friends that is relatable because of the awkwardness between Monica and her dad, Jack.

Even though burial at sea isn't my style I can see Jack's vision. He was always off beat in a sensible way. This fits his character. When his daughter makes fun of him, he maintains his position in a playful tone. I think this is a great example of communicating with our loved ones about the inevitable. If you know of any other scenes in media or books where it's done well, please share the scenes in comments.