Across the country and in every province in Canada, cremation has surpassed full body burial as the number one option for end of life choice and the divide is becoming greater. As cremation progresses into the future, options and freedom of choice within funeral service is growing.
In this article I will succinctly go over some of the reasons why cremation has become a primary choice of disposition.
Cremation is the breaking down of the body through heat into its strongest component part which is the human skeleton. Bone is composed of calcium phosphates and carbonates which is what makes them strong. That is why bone fragments endure after a cremation is complete. The ashes" that remain are actually bone matter that is then further reduced into a more granular form. The term ashes", while commonly used, is an incorrect term, as it implies the type of ash" one would have remaining after firewood is burned, but that is not the case.
Cremated remains are much more the consistency of coarse sand and the amount of cremated remains received after the cremation process is complete depends upon the age of the individual, the density and the size of their bones. The proper term for what is obtained from the cremation process is cremated remains" or cremains."
While people's desire to be cremated or have a full body burial are numerous and varied, here are some of the main reasons people select cremation.
TIME / Cremation is the option that allows for time. There are obvious reasons why a full body burial is tied to the time-line of a visitation or service, if, indeed, the body is to be present at the service. Cremated remains do not require an adherence to a time-line and there are a number of legitimate reasons to have a visitation or service after a cremation has been completed. These can range from a desire to have a service when all of the family may be reunited, to having the service on a special and meaningful day. In addition, an urn is easily transportable. I served a gentleman who decided not to have a service. He took his mom across this great land of ours in the passenger seat of his car instead because she always wanted to travel through the provinces of Canada." He took photographs of his mom's urn on the cliffs overlooking the ocean in Nova Scotia, in the golden fields of the prairies under the endless sky, and in the verdant green of the BC forests. He sent text messages and photographs back to me of his journeys and I could tell from what I saw and what he said that he was honouring her and healing himself in a big way! But if this kind of unique and loving tribute is not for you, you may want a private family gathering and then a more public gathering or service on another date. In either case, the ability to plan out what is desired - public, private, funeral home involvement or non-involvement, road-trip or an honourable place on a bookshelf or table - plans may be made for a day and a time of your choosing. That option in itself, may considerably reduce the sense of urgency or anxiety and increase the sense of honouring" the family holds for their loved one.
COST & DISPOSITION / Cremation is considered to be, and generally is, more cost effective than a service where the burial of a body will take place. The most practical reason for this is that the process of cremation and the subsequent burial of the remains, (if you are interring the cremated remains in a cemetery) will be less than the cost of obtaining a plot and burying a full body. The casket itself, most often, will be more expensive than the cremation container required for the cremation even if an urn is purchased along with it. Indeed, the choice of interring a body in cemetery ground is non-negotiable, while the options for cremated remains include burial, scattering or keeping them in an honoured place in your home. If a disposition requires transport of the deceased either to another province or another country the costs around doing this would be far less costly if a cremation has already occurred. In addition, if the family's wishes are to hold a private family service in their home or backyard or some other venue, the family may choose to not have the funeral home involved in this portion of honouring someone's life. Services are only as costly as you make them. Indeed, a memorial service with cremated remains present can cost as much as a traditional service with a body present depending upon what the family would like to do. The price of a funeral is a legitimate concern for many. A basic direct cremation is becoming more popular, particularly for younger people, as it not only allows you to plan for unique and meaningful ways to honour someone at a later date but it is also the most cost effective solution out there. In my humble opinion, the bottom line should always be that a life is being honoured in a way that is the most meaningful, for them, and not how little or how much was spent in doing just that..
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS / There is still no doubt that most of what human beings do inherently has some kind of environmental effect. Cremation is generally considered to be less environmentally harmful than burying an embalmed body in a casket and possibly a vault containing resins and toxins, where everything will eventually break down and leach into the earth. Embalming itself, which is most often a requirement in funeral homes if the casket is to be open and the deceased is to be seen, is probably the most problematic in terms of the environment. Cremation, however, utilizes natural resources. A newer process called alkaline hydrolysis" or aquamation" in which water pressure accelerates the decomposition of soft tissue uses less energy than cremation but requires tons and tons of water. That is perhaps why green burials" are gaining momentum. That's another story and the issue of disposition of a loved one, another blog post entirely. If you are interested in having a conversation about these options you may contact me and we can talk about them in much greater detail than I have here.
Ultimately, whatever manner of disposition you choose, often it is about personal comfort. Choices in funeral service always come down to that and that is where understanding your options is crucial. I read a very true statement recently about these issues, that even the most energy-intensive acts of disposition of a body pale in comparison to the carbon footprint we are leaving right now. Unfortunate, but true.
CREMATION: what it is and what it offers
