What would you like to happen to your body after your death? Would you prefer to be buried, cremated or have your body donated to science?
So...morbid I know, but timely. I recently completed the Last Will & Testament and Living Will I'd been putting off since, uh- we started breeding. I never gave serious thought to this sticky stuff before our children came into the picture. :::shudder:::
Now that our lil' darlings are in the world, it's important to me to get all this icky biz outta the way. I'm shooting to leave some kind of a legacy instead of a hassle, for sure. Lofty goal, but anyway...
Obviously, when this legal mumbo jumbo comes up- well, I'd be DEAD, so- that will probably a drag for my family (she said with shifty eyes). Not trying to make die time any more of a downer, you know? I don't want to leave my sweeties with difficult decisions in regards to what to do with- the body.
When you complete your last wishes, there's a section to specify what you want done with your remains. This is a no-brainer for me- pun intended.
I ain't goin' in no steel-lined wooden box! Ew.
It's a personal decision for everyone, but the notion of being stuffed full of carcinogenic chemicals (that will eventually leech into the earth), shoved in a box and left to take up space just doesn't sit well with me. Bleh.
I love the idea of a "green"or "natural burial," where you can go straight into the earth- to become food for living creatures, to become a TREE for Pete's sake. If you've never heard of this new movement, you've gotta check it out
here. How COOL is this?!? That's what I'm talkin' bout!
Instead of visiting ole' Ma at some creepy tombstone, go climb her- as a TREE! So rad. I even found this awesome
Forest Cemetery here in Pennsylvania. What a beautiful concept- to walk among a forest of trees that have grown from the nourishment of those who have passed. That's just lovely to me, a lot more romantic than a bunch of space wasted with interred steel and bodies pumped full of formaldehyde.
So my personal choice is to donate all my organs to science, for research and education, and then to put the remainder straight back into the earth or have it cremated. I want my body to be used to give something back to the world that keeps on keepin' on.
It makes me happy to know that I can specify these wishes in the otherwise creepy Last Will & Testament. One less thing for my loved ones to stress about when the bell tolls.
But they will have to organize the party I've requested instead of a somber funeral...
We'll save that discussion for another post.
What do you want done with your remains when the time comes? What do YOU say?
Write or link to a response below. We'd love to hear your take on the topic.
XOXO From My Hearth to Yours
