Body Disposition
There is so much more to consider than there used to be. The question is no longer: Do you want to be buried or cremated? The options seem nearly endless, depending on your values regarding death and the afterlife. It seems we may have come full circle into our history and traditions as people become more concerned with the environment and physical space.
I used to say things like, “I don’t want to get planted, I want to be cremated and tossed into the ocean so I can circle the globe and be everywhere.” Now, I wonder about the ecological impacts of that. Further, my child really hates the idea of not being able to visit me. So I looked into Aquamation, an amazing way to be turned to ash without the toxic gases and flames. During aquamation, the waste materials become Ph neutral for the environment. The ashes are white rather than grey or black. That sounded nice. Clean. Further, there are so many great things that can be done with ashes these days. I could become part of a coral reef, melded into a vinyl record of my favorite songs, or placed into jewelry for loved ones, glass trinkets to keep in a pocket. But what becomes of those later? Do I end up in a landfill? What if I am accidentally misplaced? These ideas only account for a tiny bit of what’s left. How long do I want to sit on a mantle until someone takes action to “get rid” of me? All decisions I can make, or not.
Next, I thought about body composting. I did a virtual tour of a facility in Seattle where they innovated this solution. The service seemed clearly well managed and ethical. This process was appealing since I had contemplated being a visual reminder of the circle of life, and becoming part of a tree through the nutrients I could provide. But shipping my body across the country and back seemed expensive and not environmentally sound. Perhaps this service will expand further with time and proven viability and marketability.
So, in this moment, I have settled on, natural burial. I can be wrapped in silk, a natural material, in my favorite vision of ruby red and “planted” in a gorgeous meadow, underneath wildflowers. I don’t want tree roots around me, although the shade of a tree sounds nice and it’s not like the roots will bother me. Yet, sunshine will keep me warm, again, not sure why that matters to me at all. The heat of the sun will bring plenty of wildness to my body. I see the strangeness of my reasoning. Roots bother me, but bugs don’t? I was never meant to make sense of it I guess. I simply must decide what sounds nice in my mind. The peace of a meadow, with a small rock cairn for a headstone sounds perfect. Life can go on around me and I can support it.
There is a designated natural burial ground not far from where I live. I will take a tour this spring and perhaps pick a place. Maybe buy it now to lock in the pricing, although it will hopefully be many decades before I need it.
What are your thoughts around your body disposition?
What have you investigated as options?
What values do you have around your body and it’s care after you have died?
