Followers

Total Pageviews

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Cremation or Traditional?

cremate cartoons, cremate cartoon, cremate picture, cremate pictures, cremate image, cremate images, cremate illustration, cremate illustrations
I know we've all had those days where if it wasn't a bad luck we would have no luck at all. I had mine this past weekend when the central air unit quit working and my desktop computer kept turning itself on and off. The central air unit was out of coolant, so I had to go a complete day without air, it was even worse trying to get to sleep Sunday night.

I might have a software problem because after I downloaded the last windows 7 updates, I noticed problems loading Firefox with the the new SP 3 updates. I hope the Geek Squad from Best Buy will fix the problem. It's a 3 to 5 day dianostic check,so they better fix the problem!...It's much easier writing a blog on my desktop.

We continued the tradition of visiting the grave sites on Mother's Day but on this day it was a good reason to get out of a hothouse. It was 81° and climbing inside the house when we left. The first stop was Memory Gardens, where my mother and stepfather are buried and then we took a ride through Riverside. I thought the park would be full but it wasn't. I guess Mother's Day is celebrated at mom's house. I was also surprised of how many mothers, old and young, wanted to spend a nice quiet afternoon at home rather than having a family gathering. That's what my wife, my older sister, and my oldest daughter wanted. That's funny; perhaps that's what my mother wanted, when we all showed up at her house for Mother's Day. We then drove to Resurrection Cemetery where my grandmother, two sisters and a brother-in-law are buried. We managed to find my grandmother and one sister but we will look for my other sister and brother-in-law this coming Sunday.

My wife wants to be cremated because she thinks that the ceremony, burial plot, casket and police escort is just a waste of money because friends and relatives will not visit the grave site. I'm on the fence but I know it is not for monetary reasons; it's more for traditional reasons.. Until 1963 the Catholic Church would not allow cremation and even now it's not their preference for burial, because they think of the body as God's temple and cremation desecrates it. I've always thought that after a few days underground, the worms do the same thing. The Catholic religion frowns upon immediate cremation as it does not give friends and family a chance to engage in the grieving process to their way of thinking. I've been an executor three times and its been my experience that the cost of the funeral coincides with the amount received in Life Insurance policies. I never had a case where I had to distribute excess cash from Life Insurance policies to the beneficiaries.
.

7 comments:

Edith Ann said...

Interesting blog, Mike! The air out is the pits!

Interesting commentary on the cremation vs. burial issue. Did you ever read my blog on funerals? http://edithann--andthatsthetruth.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-we-all-get-to-heaven.html

The park wasn't full? Why, the Mayor show slides of a park bursting at the seams at the last city council meeting? Was that a fluke? Was that just becasue it was Easter Sunday? Say it isn't so...

Rebecca said...

We went to my mom's house.

My grandmother (who was like a mother to me) wanted to be cremated. I imagine her as 100% spirit now. She's not attached to the earth in any way. She's free.

Is it "natural law" that says we shouldn't be cremated? I'm kinda sick of hearing about natural law. ;)

Mike said...

Edith Ann
I went back and read your blog and it's exactly what my wife wants, a lot of music and happy memories. As you said, it's what they want that counts.

Mike said...

Rebecca
Yesterday, I wrote a blog about' Natural Law" and how people hide behind that when “Positive Law" doesn't fulfill their needs.... As I was typing, my computer logged itself off and back on again but my unsaved copy was gone.... An omen or perhaps divine intervention?

Perhaps it's for the better, because it might have been seen as a “personal attack."

Kyle said...

We buried my father in an eco-friendly cardboard coffin that all his grand children had decorated and painted.

We are all made from stardust - recycled and repurposed.

Mike said...

Kyle
That's unique and creative,thanks for sharing.

Strange thing about the ashes to ashes bit,because my faith believs scattering the ashes does not conform with what the Catholic Church believes is proper. WE are supposed to do as we would for any other buriel...e.g.We wouldn't think of leaving a hand here and a foot over there...Ah,rituals of man...:-)

Edith Ann said...

Oh, Kyle! I love that! Maybe I can add that to my burial instructions. I have grandchildren who could decorate the cardboard. Beautiful idea.

I'm hoping I get what I want--I have a daughter-in-law who graduates from Mortuary School in July...