Did You Say Green?

Several years ago I was reading something, perhaps The Encyclopedia of Immaturity but I’m not sure, when I discovered that one alternative to traditional funeral practices is to have remains made into artificial diamonds. I remember jokingly telling my daughters that they could split me into two diamonds and wear me forever. I’d forgotten about it until I happened on an article in today’s Washington Post discussing green burial . I recall discussing burial options with a friend who just wanted to be laid out on the ground, not buried at all, but available to be consumed by birds and other animals, left to decompose naturally, and to leave no trace behind. I decided to do a little investigating.

Have you ever heard of greenburialcouncil.org? Neither had I until today. This site has a PDV planning guide to help plan your green burial. They list providers, cemeteries, and products. I searched in my home state, Virginia, and noted that there are only 4 providers and 1 cemetery. There were no listings for Washington D.C., and few for Maryland. One day I’ll make some calls to local funeral homes and see if they plan to get on board with the green burial process. Although to some the idea of green burial seems new, it’s actually a return to the way things were done before the rise of the current practice of dying in the hospital and then being cared for, or processed, by today’s funeral industry. People used to be cared for at home during their death, cleaned and wrapped in a shroud by family members, and carried to the local burial place either on their property or at their church, then buried directly in the ground. Everything would decompose, sink into the ground, and essentially disappear leaving the land free for other use.

In an earlier post I wrote about the can my family promises to bury me in. After today’s reading, I plan to do more research and decide whether cremation is truly the option I want, or if I prefer another green option. I googled “human remains to diamonds” and found some sites to investigate. This is the kind of research to do now while you’re able. The more information you can give to those who will see to you after your death, the easier their job will be and the better your chances of them following your wishes. And don’t you want your kids to be able to say, “My mother. She was such a gem”?

http://wapo.st/1vJdJcM