This is one of the last decisions you make or is made for you – cremation or burial. Putting aside other options, which perhaps isn’t appropriate here.
I appreciate it can seem bizarre doing pros and cons between burial or cremation – but I don’t avoid the hard questions.
Financial
The cost of funeral is often in the news. My last blog talked about this. The costs can sometimes be astronomical rather than economical (which we are – the second one, not the first one).
Cremation is definitely cheaper – it’s not even close.
So cost savings has to go to Cremations.
Practicalities
Even this word sounds wrong. Maybe this whole blog is dodgy at best. But whether we like or not there are practicalities when someone dies.
If a cremation or burial is done soon, there is no need for embalming. So they even out.
At a funeral service you can have a coffin or urn there. Obviously a coffin is a little more trickier to move around than an urn. And if there is food afterwards, the coffin usually doesn’t hang around for that. Whereas the urn is happy to stay with you wherever – no issues.
So perhaps with practicalities the urn beats the coffin.
Religious
For some people they believe in life after death – or more precisely the resurrection of the body. And so for some, the idea of being cremated seems to make this resurrection harder than it needs to be.
However if we take a step back people end up as ashes sooner or later. Even if the person is embalmed. Sure it will take decades or centuries – but ultimately we end up pretty much the same.
So again – pretty even.
Final Location
Most people who are buried are in cemeteries. And so there is a place where families can visit. Ashes can also be interred there so that evens out again.
Some don’t like the idea of being eaten by worms. However I have been told that worms or other subterranean wildlife aren’t that far down. If that is any consolation.
Alternatively ashes can also be kept at home or scattered at a specific spot – which obviously gives more options than you would have with a body.
Conclusion
Statistics show that over 70% of people choose cremation. There are no set reasons for or against either option other than personal choice or circumstances.
The far more important thing is focusing on life now. Enjoy every day you can. In the end it doesn’t really matter what you decide, because it is the memories you make, the legacy you leave and the life you lived that counts.
For me and my work at SDF it is the relationships and memories that are more than anything else. I’ve said it before that the flash coffin, flowers, suits, etc – what I call the bells and whistles – don’t really matter. Removing those distractions has enable families the space to have the funeral they want for the person they loved.