In which I want a burial at sea

I have always wanted to be buried at sea. Ever since I found out that my great-grandfather died aboard ship and was consigned to the sea at the Rock of Gibraltar, I've wanted to do the same. Obviously it would be a little tricky to arrange to actually DIE at sea, but I thought I could possibly have a proper sea burial by  just ordering it up. Apparently NOT. If you don't want to be cremated first, there are about a hundred hoops to jump through, including all sorts of tremendously expensive permits and an extensive boat trip because they want you FAR out if you're going overboard whole. (Actually, better than a regular sea burial would be a VIKING burial. Being floated out to sea while being set on fire is just a tremendously impressive way to go. But very eleventh century and a little hard on the environment, I think.)

So, I have reluctantly agreed to undergo cremation FIRST. (Although since claustrophobia is my main objection to a regular land burial, it seems a bit cruel to put me in a coffin for cremation, but I figure I won't know the difference. Yes, I realize that logic brings us right back to just having a regular burial ANYWAY, but it's my funeral.) I think after the cremation I would like to hang out in a Sea Reef. Lots of fish to swim by and it actually does something productive for the environment.

Two hundred pages down on the revisions. I am insanely sore from my graceful tumble on Friday  night, so the rest of Saturday--it's Saturday afternoon as I write this--will be spent lounging in bed, watching movies and sharing a bottle of pinot noir with the husband while we work our way through the contents of the fridge. Don't worry--we plan to watch a triathlon on Sunday afternoon to make up for it.

Comments

[Michelle Moran]

I know precisely your frustration, but for a different reason. I have always imagined being buried in a mausoleum, sort of like the one Christine's father has in Phantom of the Opera. I like to think of family members visiting, the flames of their candles flickering in the wind (because there would be wind, but only slightly... and just a little chill). Then I looked up prices of mausoleums and discovered that I would need to fork over between $200,000-$300,000 for the privilege of resting above ground (and that doesn't include the candles... or Phantom of the Opera Music).

Sigh...

[Michelle Moran]

Ooops... and I meant to add feel better!!!!!

[Tina Perry]

My Husband and I have a plan. When we die we will be cremated. When we're both gone the ashes will be mixed together and scattered in our special place. My parents will be combined then split in half. One half will be scattered at sea my Dad has made his living on the ocean and the other in my moms favorite meadow. That way we will be with our Loves forever.

[Kitty]

Anyone tempted to make a synthetic diamond from the carbon of the dear departed? I think Life Gem is one of the leading providers of this service and they have a rather extensive website at www.LifeGem.com . I'm wondering if you get to pick the color or whether the color is unique to the individual? This may be the modern take on Victorian death jewelry.

And should your preference lean toward more traditional resting places, you may want to consider a bit of sculptural adornment. While checking out the Cyber Cemetary, a dry dusty repository for expired government websites, for a MLIS assignment, I came across another Cyber Cemetary site devoted to black and white photography of cemetary sculpture. Hauntingly beautiful and mournful. Check it out at: www.cemeteries.inkart.net/

[Anna Claire]

I don't much care where/how I'm buried since I won't know the difference once I'm dead, I did hear of an idea that sounded cool.

There are 'forest cemeteries' where land is set aside as a cemetery, and you are cremated and your ashes are scattered/buried near a particular tree. So your ashes are absorbed as nutrients by the tree to keep it growing, and I think they do a plaque near the tree or something. And your whole family could be buried at that same tree. It's apparently very earth-friendly.