2/26

As part of an assignment for a class I had in college we had to plan our funeral. This was not an easy thing to do. Death is something we all face in our lives, both our own mortality and those of the ones we love. It is often an uncomfortable subject to think/talk about. No one wants to think about their own mortality but it is something that we were forced to do as part of this Death and Human Behavior class. We even had to make out a will and have it notarized to get full credit. We were told to think about what we would want after death such as burial or cremation, funeral or memorial, etc. and other things such as music, flowers, readings and rituals. There are a lot of things to consider that most of us probably had not thought about prior to the class. It was a very interesting experience to sit and think of yourself as dying or dead.

I know that I want to be cremated. To be putting me in a box where I will rot does not appeal to me. I don’t care to have a tombstone or my urn buried either. I don’t feel the need to have a rock where family may only come visit on special occasions when they are in town. There are lots of things people can do these days with ashes. The can be spread of course although in some cases and certain places it’s illegal. The can also place some of the ashes in keepsakes and pendants. My husband and I for example each wear a pendant containing some of our son’s ashes. One thing I do know is that whatever details you can figure out a head of time is that much less your family has to worry about during what is already a difficult time. Although it might seem weird to think about these things it’s a necessary evil if you will. Anyone who has had to plan an unexpected funeral for a loved one knows what an agonizing process it can be. Having taken this class it has now prepared me to face and make some very difficult decisions.