Life After Death
By Imalia, Community for Heritics (blog)
“Ah, why should we wear black for the guests of God? “— John Ruskin
Indeed, the question is why? If you truly believe the person who died is going to Heaven then it should be a celebration. Right? I’m not saying, don’t grieve. I have had plenty of grief over the past couple of years. As it was said in my profile, I’m no spring chicken. More like a tough old bird. And the older I get the more I think about Death. It’s a hard thing to ignore when people around you are dropping like flies.
Grief is for the living. Admit it. It’s a good thing as long as you don’t let it rule your life for too long. Someone you love dies and there is a big empty spot where that person has been. Your life has a hole in it. The closer the person, the bigger the hole. I’ve been there. I still have holes in myself that I haven’t been able to patch with more good memories than loss. It is a slow process. I have dreams of my dad, not as he was the first 80 yrs of his life but as he was, struggling with Alzheimer’s, in the last years of his life. I will rejoice in the day I can see him as he was before the disease took him. Before he started getting weak in mind and body. I loved him both ways, sick and well, but the irrational, stuggling old man he became has been haunting me. The grief is still too new. Our wonderful dog, Louie, who died last year is like that too. He is in my mind as suffering from bloat, when for many years he was our big strong puppy. Full of love and life.
But that is not what this is all about. Let’s face it. Funerals are depressing. Muted colors, muted voices. As if we would wake the dead. Maybe we should try. Have a party to end all parties. If you believe the dead are going to Heaven wouldn’t that make sense? If you believe in Karma, well, they have completed this cycle and are ready for the next rebirth and lesson. Again a good thing, right? Or in my case, I wouldn’t hurt anymore. Not necessarily a bad thing. A party would be good. Not the muted, quiet kind but one where people actually have fun. Lots of colors, music, maybe even a little dancing. I love dancing but my days of dancing are pretty much over. I would love people to celebrate my death by doing the things I love. Flowers would be good too. I love flowers. But not funeral bouquets. More like the kind you’d send to a loved one or your kid picks for you from wildflowers. Better yet, how about some plants that can be planted outside. Donated to a park or whatever. How about a donation to the Nature Conservancy or a local animal shelter? Give something to life in honor of my life.
Now this brings me to another question. Burial. I’m not in favor of it. Mainly because of the cost, the impact on the environment and all that. It would be great to have something of mine buried for future archeologists but I think they have plenty enough to find. They don’t need my little bit of garbage. Cremation is a good thing except I’m sure that’s not all environmentally sound either. There is green burial. http://www.greenburials.org/ I would love to go that way. There aren’t too many places that do that. Give back to the Earth I love and become part of it again instead of fouling the Earth with my remains.
Note to my loved ones. Find me a green cemetary or bury me out back. Have a party with music and lots of fun. Let everyone bring their dogs or cats or whatever. If I still have dogs, let them be there too. Plant some trees or endangered plants. Or even just a bunch of wildflowers over me. Grieve, but for yourselves, not for me. I won’t say I’ll be in a better place. There is no better place. This Earth is right up there with the best. But I will be where I belong. Giving back all I have to give.