Grief Library

Emotional aspects of cremation

Continued

As a new mortuary student, I took my objections to cremation with me. I really just didn't know what to think about the first cremation with which I had to assist. On the one hand, I had almost 30 years of "anti-cremation" ingrained in me. On the other hand, in actually seeing a cremation, I couldn't see anything "Un-Christian" about cremation. By the time I assisted with a second cremation, I was changing my paradigm..."getting out of my box" of ingrained thought processes about cremation. It wasn't long until I became excited about cremation because there are so many different options available to families who choose cremation.

When you consider that our physical body is what keeps us "grounded" to the earth's surface, and when you consider how much pain our bodies can cause us over our life time, it's no wonder that more and more people opt to do away with THAT physical presence completely in order to maintain the memory of the person's spiritual self. Just think what the spirit could accomplish if it were not confined to the container known as the human body!

Discussion, even if it is difficult and uncomfortable, with family and loved ones, may help you uncover the reasons behind their feelings about cremation.

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