![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A morbid but curious thought
Jul. 12th, 2009 10:49 amDuring part of the trek to Evansville, IN for a cousin's wedding, I listened to a lot of Fresh Air from NPR. One of the stories was about a man whose mother died, and his father asked him to help find a new wife. While this was kind of funny in itself, there was a particular passage that made me think.
The dad bought three plots in the cemetery. One for his wife, one for him, and one for his son. He told his son, "You'll be with me and your mother for all eternity." And the son kind of freaked out. He actually was concerned about having to spend the rest of eternity with his parents.
Now the first part of me simply says "The physical Location your remains have nothing to do with eternity." The guy's corpse is not going to know or care that it is resting next to his parents.
Then I thought about this more. My thoughts are if it would make someone happier to know they would be buried next to me (or me next to them) then go for it. My remains aren't doing me any good so if they can comfort someone else, that's all well and good.
I considered this for a while and thought "what DID I want done with my remains." My first thought is that I would prefer to be cremated. Why waste space putting me in the earth, at least as a 6' by 2' box. I think there are some services where you just get a shroud and get buried and ultimately return to the earth. I guess that wouldn't bother me too much.
So assuming I am cremated, what is to be done with the ashes. I suppose you could just scatter them. As I said, I don't care at this point. I guess I would be screwed if the Russian Orthodox are right and my body is resurrected in the state of death, but I'll take that risk.
It seems like it might be nice to be on a mantle somewhere. I think I would like to have my wife's remains in a jar on the extremely off chance that I survive her. Maybe she'd like to keep me around as well. But THEN what. Maybe one of my kids would want me. PERHAPS a grandkid. There's an outside chance there is a great grandkid who might know me and have some sort of bond that would lead them to want my remains.
But really outside of 2-3 generations no one is going to know me. If I were given my great great grandparents body in an urn, it damn well better grant me super powers, or it gets dropped into storage space. I don't know my great great grandparents and I feel no particular urge to keep their remains around to meditate on or anything. I assume my descendants will likely feel the same about me.
So do I put in my will 'after anyone who cares about me is gone, just scatter the damn ashes already.' Will that inflict some sort of guilt on my descendants as they finally give up and scatter me? Its very confusing.
The dad bought three plots in the cemetery. One for his wife, one for him, and one for his son. He told his son, "You'll be with me and your mother for all eternity." And the son kind of freaked out. He actually was concerned about having to spend the rest of eternity with his parents.
Now the first part of me simply says "The physical Location your remains have nothing to do with eternity." The guy's corpse is not going to know or care that it is resting next to his parents.
Then I thought about this more. My thoughts are if it would make someone happier to know they would be buried next to me (or me next to them) then go for it. My remains aren't doing me any good so if they can comfort someone else, that's all well and good.
I considered this for a while and thought "what DID I want done with my remains." My first thought is that I would prefer to be cremated. Why waste space putting me in the earth, at least as a 6' by 2' box. I think there are some services where you just get a shroud and get buried and ultimately return to the earth. I guess that wouldn't bother me too much.
So assuming I am cremated, what is to be done with the ashes. I suppose you could just scatter them. As I said, I don't care at this point. I guess I would be screwed if the Russian Orthodox are right and my body is resurrected in the state of death, but I'll take that risk.
It seems like it might be nice to be on a mantle somewhere. I think I would like to have my wife's remains in a jar on the extremely off chance that I survive her. Maybe she'd like to keep me around as well. But THEN what. Maybe one of my kids would want me. PERHAPS a grandkid. There's an outside chance there is a great grandkid who might know me and have some sort of bond that would lead them to want my remains.
But really outside of 2-3 generations no one is going to know me. If I were given my great great grandparents body in an urn, it damn well better grant me super powers, or it gets dropped into storage space. I don't know my great great grandparents and I feel no particular urge to keep their remains around to meditate on or anything. I assume my descendants will likely feel the same about me.
So do I put in my will 'after anyone who cares about me is gone, just scatter the damn ashes already.' Will that inflict some sort of guilt on my descendants as they finally give up and scatter me? Its very confusing.
