Saying About Death, Family, and Leaving a Legacy
Why We’re Sharing This
Here at Greatful Moments, we talk a lot about family, faith, love, and the little moments that become the memories we treasure. Sometimes those moments are funny, sometimes they bring tears to our eyes, and sometimes they remind us just how precious the people in our lives really are.
But there is another conversation that families sometimes put off because it is uncomfortable. That conversation is about what happens when we are no longer here.
Have you ever thought about what you would want your family to remember about you? Have you talked with your loved ones about your wishes, or have you put off those conversations because you would rather not think about them?
I know these aren’t easy questions. Nobody wants to imagine leaving the people they love. But loving our families also means thinking about the things they may have to face one day, even when we cannot be there to help them through it.
That is why I wanted to share this research from Choice Mutual. Their 2026 Funeral Preferences Survey looks at how Americans feel about discussing death, planning funeral expenses, choosing burial options, and preserving memories for future generations.
One finding that really caught my attention is that 72% of Americans say it is important for future generations to be able to access and learn about the lives and memories of those who have passed away.
At Greatful Moments, our tagline is “Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.” Part of appreciating the blessings in our lives is recognizing the importance of the memories we make and the stories we leave behind.
Where This Information Came From
The following information is based on Choice Mutual’s 2026 Funeral Preferences Survey, which collected responses from 1,516 people across the United States.
You can read the original research, including the complete findings and methodology, here:
Choice Mutual: 2026 Funeral Preferences Survey
We appreciate Choice Mutual sharing this research and bringing attention to conversations that can help families think about their wishes, their finances, and the memories they want to preserve.
What Choice Mutual’s Research Found
Choice Mutual has surveyed Americans about funeral preferences and end-of-life wishes since 2020. Its 2026 research explores how comfortable people feel discussing death, what they want done with their remains, how they expect to pay for funeral expenses, and how technology might help preserve memories of loved ones.
Here are some of the key findings from the survey.
- 36% of Americans have life insurance or a final expense policy in place to cover funeral and burial costs.
- 57% of Americans believe people are becoming more comfortable discussing death and end-of-life preferences.
- 80% of Americans would consider alternative burial options if they were significantly cheaper than traditional funerals.
- 68% of Americans say environmental impact is important when deciding how they want to be buried or memorialized.
- 58% of Americans would want loved ones to create a digital time capsule containing photos, videos, and messages to be opened after their death.
- 72% of Americans say it is important for future generations to be able to access and learn about the lives and memories of those who have passed away.
The survey also found that half of Americans feel more comfortable talking about death than they did in recent years. One in three respondents said they had a serious conversation with someone about their own funeral preferences.
Although these conversations can be difficult, the findings suggest that more families may be willing to discuss their wishes before those decisions have to be made.
Talking About Death Is Still Difficult for Many Families
Death is a subject that affects every family eventually, but that does not mean we find it easy to talk about.
Some people are comfortable discussing their own wishes. Others would rather change the subject. And sometimes, families avoid these conversations because they do not want to upset one another.
According to Choice Mutual’s survey, approximately two in five Americans feel comfortable discussing their own death, while 39% feel uncomfortable and one in five feel neutral.
When the conversation turns to the death of a loved one, grief, and the emotional impact of loss, Americans are similarly divided.
That is understandable. Talking about death can bring up fears, painful memories, and questions we may not feel ready to answer.
However, having a conversation does not mean we are expecting the worst to happen tomorrow. It simply gives the people we love a better understanding of our wishes.
For example, have you ever talked with your family about whether you would prefer a traditional burial or cremation? Do they know whether there is a particular song, Bible verse, photograph, or special place that means something to you?
These may seem like little details now, but knowing what matters to someone can make a difference when a family is grieving and trying to make difficult decisions.
Funeral Planning and the Financial Burden on Families
One of the findings that stood out to me was that only 36% of Americans surveyed have life insurance or a final expense policy in place to cover funeral and burial costs.
Choice Mutual reports that the average funeral cost in 2026 is nearly $10,000, while cremation averages nearly $7,000.
Those expenses can be difficult for families to manage, particularly when a death happens unexpectedly.
The survey found that nearly one in four Americans plan to use personal funds set aside for funeral arrangements. Nearly one in five expect their family to figure out how to cover the expenses.
Every family’s financial situation is different. Not everyone can afford to set aside money for a funeral, and having insurance is not always possible. Nobody should be made to feel ashamed because they are struggling financially.
Still, the research reminds us why it can be helpful to understand what resources are available and to communicate whatever plans we have made.
A family conversation might include questions such as:
- Have we discussed our funeral and burial preferences?
- Do our loved ones know whether we have insurance or money set aside for final expenses?
- Are there documents or instructions our family would need to locate?
- Do the people closest to us know whom to contact if something unexpected happens?
These conversations do not have to happen all at once. They can begin with one question and continue as everyone becomes more comfortable.
The goal is not to have every answer immediately. It is to make sure our loved ones are not left guessing about everything.
Burial Preferences Are Changing
For many years, traditional burial was the option people most often associated with funeral planning. But preferences can change as families consider cost, environmental concerns, personal beliefs, and what feels meaningful to them.
Choice Mutual’s 2026 survey found that cremation was the most preferred option, with 48% of respondents choosing it. Traditional burial followed at 24%, while 13% preferred natural burial.
Among those who preferred cremation, scattering ashes in a meaningful place was the most popular choice. Others wanted their ashes returned to the ground through a tree or planted memorial, while some preferred keeping the ashes in an urn with their family.
The survey also explored alternative burial options.
Respondents expressed interest in natural organic reduction, sometimes called human composting, green burial, and tree pod burial. These options differ in their methods, availability, costs, and legal requirements.
The research found that cost was a particularly important consideration: 83% said a lower overall cost would influence their decision to choose an alternative burial.
Environmental benefits also mattered, with 73% saying those benefits would influence their choice.
These findings remind us that there is no single preference shared by everyone. What matters most is understanding the available options, considering personal values and practical circumstances, and communicating our wishes to the people who may eventually need to carry them out.
Preserving Family Memories for Future Generations
This is the part of the research that especially connects with what we do here at Greatful Moments.
Choice Mutual found that 72% of Americans believe it is important for future generations to have access to and learn about the lives and memories of people who have passed away.
Additionally, 58% would want their loved ones to create a digital time capsule containing photographs, videos, and messages that could be opened after their death.
Think about all the things a family can lose when nobody takes the time to preserve them.
There are photographs tucked away in boxes, home videos saved on old devices, handwritten recipes, birthday cards, letters, and stories that have been told around the kitchen table for years.
Sometimes, the person who knows the story behind a photograph is the only person who knows it. When that person is gone, the photograph may remain, but the details that made it special can disappear.
A digital time capsule is one way to preserve some of those memories. It might include a message for a grandchild, a video telling a favorite family story, photographs from important milestones, or a recording of someone sharing memories from childhood.
You do not have to use complicated technology to begin preserving family history. You can start with a photo album, a notebook, a collection of letters, or a folder of digital photographs with names and dates attached.
You might even record a family member telling a story about how they met their spouse, what life was like when they were growing up, or what they remember about a loved one who passed away years ago.
The important thing is to make those memories available to the people who will treasure them.
Technology can help us preserve photographs, recordings, and messages, but the heart of a family legacy is still the people and the love behind those memories.
Technology, Grief, and Remembering the People We Love
Choice Mutual also revisited Americans’ opinions about technology designed to help people remember loved ones.
The findings show that people have mixed feelings about these tools. While one in five respondents considered grief technology comforting, 79% said they found it creepy.
Some of the technologies explored included virtual reality experiences that recreate shared memories, hologram projections for memorial services, and voice cloning that recreates a person’s voice from past recordings.
The survey found that nearly one in four respondents would consider a virtual reality experience that recreates memories with a loved one. Interest in hologram projections and voice cloning was lower.
The findings also showed a change in attitudes toward digital memorials. In 2025, 39% of respondents said they would like loved ones to create a digital memorial. In 2026, that figure rose to 58%.
There is an important distinction between preserving a person’s actual photographs, videos, words, and stories and using technology to simulate that person after death.
Families will have different feelings about these choices. Some may find comfort in listening to an old recording of a loved one’s voice. Others may find a simulated version of that person upsetting.
Neither reaction needs to be dismissed.
If families choose to use digital memorial tools, it is worth considering privacy, permission, and whether the person whose memories or voice are being preserved would have wanted them used in that way.
Sometimes, an ordinary recording of someone laughing or telling a familiar story is more meaningful than any technology could recreate.
How Can Families Begin Preserving Their Legacy?
You do not have to make every end-of-life decision today to begin thinking about your family’s future.
Here are a few simple ways to start.
Write down the stories you do not want forgotten. Think about your childhood, your parents and grandparents, how you met your spouse, your children’s milestones, and the moments that changed your life.
Label your photographs. Write down the names of the people in old pictures, where they were taken, and why the moment mattered. Future generations may not recognize everyone in those photographs without a little help.
Record family stories. Ask a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or another relative to share memories in their own words. A phone recording can preserve the way someone speaks, laughs, and tells a story.
Share your wishes with loved ones. If you have preferences about a funeral, burial, cremation, or memorial service, consider putting them in writing and making sure the appropriate people know where to find them.
Organize important information. Let trusted family members know where relevant documents and instructions can be found. Keep sensitive information secure rather than placing private details in a public digital memorial.
Make time for ordinary memories. Take photographs at family gatherings. Save handwritten recipes. Ask questions while the people who know the answers are still here to answer them.
You can begin with one small step. Over time, those little efforts can become something your family treasures.
Our Thoughts: The Memories We Leave Behind
At Greatful Moments, we believe our lives are made up of more than the big occasions we celebrate. They are made up of ordinary days, family traditions, conversations, laughter, tears, and the moments when someone shows up just when we need them.
Those are the memories that become part of our family stories.
We cannot control every circumstance that life brings our way. We cannot know exactly when we will have to say goodbye to someone we love. But we can take steps to make sure our wishes are known and the stories that matter to us have a chance to live on.
I think about how much family history can mean to the generations that come after us. A photograph may help someone recognize a face, but a story can help them understand the person behind it. A handwritten recipe can bring back memories of a kitchen filled with familiar smells. A recorded message can preserve a voice that someone may one day wish they could hear again.
And sometimes, it is the simplest things that become the most precious.
We do not need expensive equipment or elaborate plans to begin leaving a legacy. We can start by telling our stories, writing down what we remember, taking photographs, and making time to listen to the people we love.
We can also have those difficult conversations about our wishes while we still have the opportunity to explain them ourselves.
For families of faith, these conversations may also bring opportunities to share what we believe, the Bible verses that have carried us through difficult days, and the ways God has worked in our lives. Those are parts of our stories worth preserving, too.
None of us knows how much time we have. That is one reason I believe we should make the most of the time we are given, love our families well, and be grateful for the memories we are making today.
We may not be able to leave our loved ones every answer they will ever need. But perhaps we can leave them a little more understanding of who we were, what we valued, and how deeply we loved them.
That is a legacy worth thinking about.
Thank you to Choice Mutual for sharing this research and reminding us that conversations about death can also be conversations about family, love, and the lives we hope will be remembered.
May we all take a little time to cherish the people beside us, preserve the stories that matter, and remember to be Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
GratefulMoments.com
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
