Then There Was Cremation

In 2006 I submitted forms for us to donate our bodies to science. Why did I do that? I have no idea.

In 2018 I figured all that was long forgotten. Bob was 85, which I figured meant no one would be interested in his body for science. It seemed I should pay for a cremation and forget about the body donation.

The week of Bob's death an attorney friend was here going through some business papers and asked about the paperwork for donating our bodies to science. I passed it off as long out of date and I'd be arranging something else. She slipped out of the room, made a phone call, and returned to say the body donation paperwork was still good, and there was no reason not to use it. By then I didn't know what I wanted done about anything so I asked her to call our son and talk to him.

I know absolutely nothing about these places, and I sure didn't remember anything I'd done twelve years earlier. The one we used is called BioGift. So far all our dealings with these people have been good. I received a call yesterday his ashes are ready. I'll let our son deal with that.

The morning of Bob's death the hospice nurse called BioGift and they came out in a station wagon type car with no markings that would indicate their business in our apartment complex. They were very professional in doing their job, and thoughtful to us as family.

There was no cost for this service. I understand the ashes will be returned in a wooden box. We can then put them in a nice urn or do whatever we desire.
_____________________________________________________

I seem to have an unwanted commenter from another country. I read about the steps to block a commenter but was unable to make it happen. I would appreciate any suggestions.

After Death

As I type this today we have an extended family member dying in a memory care facility in Texas. Perhaps that's the reason this article caught my eye about the Vatican issuing guidelines on cremation.

I am not Catholic so I have to admit it strikes me the wrong way to have the church tell me what I can and cannot do with the cremains of a loved one.

On the other hand I'm also put off by "companies that offer to load cremains into shotgun shells so that family members can take them on turkey hunts."

I think I'm okay with anything in between those two extremes. My thinking has morphed a great deal over the years. I grew up with funerals and memorials, all with a Christian influence. I thought I was progressive when years ago we decided to be cremated.

Then I moved to Oregon. Here it's quite acceptable to have no service of any kind. It's also acceptable to gather in a bar or other public gathering place to tell stories and remember someone who's died.

It's important to remember, whatever you do, it's all about the feelings of those that mourn your passing and not the departed.

Do you have any strong feelings about what takes place after death?