After my father passed away suddenly, my mother, siblings and I all struggled with planning his funeral. We were already in a state of shock and sorrow, and then we were overwhelmed with the options and decisions we had to make in regards to the funeral. Luckily for us, we worked with an amazing funeral home and funeral director who helped guide us through the process. I know how hard it is to plan a funeral and how many decisions need to be made. This website was created in order to give families preparing to lay a loved one to rest a guide of sorts that will help them determine what decisions will need to be made and information about those decisions. I extend my sympathies to you if you are in this position and hope my website helps to make things a little bit easier for you.
Traditional burial methods for deceased loved ones make it easy to revisit their memory by physically visiting a grave site, but what can you do when your loved one has chosen cremation? According to the Nation Funeral Directors Association, an estimated 71 percent of all Americans will choose cremation for their after-death care by 2030, meaning this is a question that will need to be answered more and more often as burial preferences slowly transition to cremation. Thankfully, there are a number of ways for you to commemorate your cremated loved one in a tasteful and poignant way.
Scattering Ashes in a Favorite Spot
The traditional answer to memorializing a cremated friend or family member is to either store the ashes in an urn or scatter them to the winds. Scattering ashes in a favorite old spot can offer closure and peace of mind, as well as creating a central point for mourners to gather and reminisce. Before you release your loved one's ashes, check with local authorities to ensure that the action is both legal and welcome in that area.
Planting a Tree Over Ashes
Another popular option mourners often choose is to return their loved one to the Earth, where they can contribute to the creation of new life. Human ashes are still full of valuable nutrients that can feed plants and boost their growth, and a stately tree serves as a beautiful, lasting marker of your loved one's final resting place. These ashes are, however, also high in sodium and have an alkaline pH level, meaning they must be treated or mixed with a specialized soil blend to counteract these potentially harmful effects before they can be safely used as fertilizer.
Commissioning a Portrait With Custom Paint
Ashes from your loved one can also be mixed into paint for use in a painting memorializing his or her life. Whether that painting features a solemn portrait of your loved one or a landscape of a cherished location, it can be a comforting daily reminder of your loved one's continued presence in your life.
Wearing Cremation Jewelry
Similarly, ashes can also be mixed into metals before they harden, allowing them to be cast into durable and attractive jewelry. This approach effectively means that you can carry your loved one with you wherever you go, and you should be able to choose between a necklace, ring or other type of jewelry to suit your personal preferences. In some cases, whole families commission their own cremation jewelry to show solidarity for each other during the mourning period.
Converting Ashes Into a Diamond
One innovative and trendy development from the cremation industry involves turning human ashes into real diamonds. It may sound like something out of science fiction, but it is actually both possible and relatively affordable. Diamonds are, after all, simply highly compressed carbon, and the human body contains plenty of carbon. When picking this option, be sure to vet the company carefully to guarantee that your loved one's remains are indeed used to create the diamond.
No matter how you choose to process your grief and remember your loved one, cremation services provide many creative and meaningful ways to ensure that his or her memory lives on for years and decades to come.
Share27 January 2016
