Salt of the Earth, A Mother's Memorial
Recently, I was asked to assist at a friend's mothers memorial service. Luckily, my friend knew she wanted a stress-free day where she felt taken care of, so she hired a great caterer, a pianist, a coat checker (local Boy Scout!) and me. I think she felt love surrounded her - and it's always nice not to be "boss" for just one day.
Her mother's urn was a lovely pink salt stone. Guests picked up a pink Himalayan rock salt as they left - it was an absolutely lovely touch to her mother's memory.
Memorial services are what we make of them for the departed. Some people are more comfortable allowing a funeral home to take care of the arrangements and program. But, I think, with a little creativity, we can create meaningful memories even in a funeral home setting. We spend more money on weddings and vacations then our own send-offs to the next life.
I recently screened "The Will For the Woods - a fabulous documentary about green burial in America. The featured person in the documentary had a home funeral - surrounded by friends, his cat, and his family for 2 days before the funeral. They simply lifted him into a friend's truck and took him to the woods. Everyone grabbed a shovel, told stories, and drank. Indeed, a celebration of life!