No one wants to show up to their mother’s funeral and be unable to recall any of the names of their uncles, cousins and great uncles. Depending on the size of the family and their relationship with your dead mother, we could be talking about dozens of people looking to shake your hand and comfort you. And you naturally don’t know any of their names. That’s just a recipe for awkwardness.
So here are some helpful tips for how to make sure you know your relatives’ names.
1. Don’t cram if you don’t have to.
There is no need to cram the night before the funeral if you don’t have to. You don’t necessarily need to start at the initial diagnosis but, if you start to notice the life slowly draining out of your mother, maybe it’s time to pull out the flashcards and start studying.
2. Nickname-ification
Make up nicknames, ideally based on their physical appearance or what information you know about that person. Link them with animals or objects they may look like. Special, goofy nicknames are generally easier to remember than boring ol’ names and help you associate names with the actual physical person. Pulling “Steven Gunderson” out of thin air is hard. But it’s easy to spot “Snake-Faced Steven” as he weeps over your mother’s open casket.
3. Make associations
With relatives, relations are key. You’ll likely need to know how these people are related. And, besides, having a map of how these people relate to one another makes remembering them much easier. Snake-Faced Steven is married to Mary Magdalen and they have two kids named Accountant Greg and Goth April. And Steven’s sister is Big Lips Susan… etc. You can even draw out an actual literal map of all your relatives. Your dead mom should make a good central focal point.
4. If all else fails, cram
Most of us out there have been through the college experience. And you know that sometimes you just need to throw on a pot of coffee, put your head down, and pull an all-nighter. No tips necessary, just power through it. And for those of you too young to have attended college, consider this a valuable learning experience for your future college endeavors. Provided of course, that your mother’s death hasn’t left you destitute and unlikely to ever afford college.
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