If you're almost sure that cremation is what you'd like for your final wishes, you probably think about standard urns as a final resting place. However, if you'd rather loved ones do something more modern or meaningful with your cremains than keeping your urn in the house, you might suggest these options.
Bury Them
While this may be unusual, your cremains can be buried just as a coffin would be. This would give your family and other loved ones a definite location to visit when they miss you or want to pay their respects. You can get a traditional headstone, or your family may wish to splurge on a more elaborate stone.
Create Diamonds
Your cremains can even be turned into lab-grown diamonds. The carbon is extracted from the cremains and used to turn into stones. If this is something that you're interested in, know that it will take some weeks for that process to be completed. Your relatives or other loved ones can then have the stones made into rings, necklaces or other jewelry pieces.
Make a Tree
For this option, your cremains will usually be mixed with the kinds of nutrients that trees require, and a seed will be planted. When your loved ones--or you--select a location for the tree, everyone can visit it until it's large enough to sit underneath. It can be a great legacy that becomes part of family lore.
Create Reef
If you're someone who always loved the beach or felt at home in ocean waters, your cremains might be best used to help create a concrete-based reef. Ocean life can settle in the reef over time.
Send to Space
Your cremains can also go up with a rocket and be scattered among stars. Different companies will load up and transport your cremains via a rocket; compare different companies to find those which offer small services before launch.
Get Tattoos
If ink means a lot to you or your loved ones, using cremains in tattoos can be something very meaningful. An artist will generally mix in a bit of cremains with the ink before applying it to the skin. This can enable loved ones to feel that you're still with them, to the point where your essence is on their skin.
Whatever you think you'll ultimately choose for your cremains, ensure you discuss those plans with loved ones. A funeral home director from a company like Danks-Hinski Funeral Home can also guide you as you make these kinds of decisions about the afterlife.
Funerals and death make many people uncomfortable, and asking questions about funerals can seem like a faux pas. You may find yourself wondering why bodies are embalmed, or what the advantages of cremation are — but where do you find answers?
You can find them here. We are not afraid to talk about death and dying, and we seek to offer the information everyone needs to know when planning or attending a funeral. You're going to feel a deep sense of loss whenever you lose someone close to you, but being able to prepare for and attend their funeral with confidence will at least make things a little easier in your period of grief.