Do You Care What Happens to You (Physically) After You Die?
 

Do you have instructions for your loved ones so they'll know what you want done to you after you die (ie cremation, organ donation, religious service, etc.)?

I was amazed how detailed some of my friends are in outlining this to their families. Personally, I could care less what happens to my body after I die. The only thing is (and my family knows this) that I had better not be laid out in an open casket in a funeral home. I know this is an integral part of the grieving process for many people and there is certainly nothing wrong with it, but as far as I am concerned if someone does that to me I will haunt his/her a$$ for years!

personally, I have an intense phobia about being underground (hate caves, don't really like basements etc)...so no way no how am I going in a hole in the ground. You will see the resurrection if someone tries to do that with my body!!!

I would prefer a longboat burning at sea...but don't think that is possible...so cremation. I have drilled it into everyone who loves me that this is what I want, I have a will with copies filed with my lawyer as well.

Cremation, no burial....I will be warm and above ground for eternity :)!!!

For me

--No displaying of Susan in a casket (I'm with KR!)
--Cremation for sure

I used to like the idea of cremation. Then I saw The Big Lebowski, and now I'm not so hip to that idea.

Simple pine box - nothing to distinguish me from anyone else. Simple tombstone - nothing to distinguish me from anyone else.
Buried within 24 hours.

I just hope my fear of really being "alive" even when you're dead and feeling the bugs isn't true. GROOOOOOOOOOSS!!!

-Rudey
--Oh and I demand I get banged by a hot necrophiliac chick

Haha, no Folger's can for you?? :p

I want to have a big Irish Wake.
I want to be propped up in the corner in my coffin (no casket for me...I want a coffin) with a pint of beer on a table beside me.
I want my loved ones to celebrate my life, not mourn my death. After I will be buried.

And I'm being dead serious about this (pun intended...but I am being serious)

Well, I know I want Amazing Grace sung. I'm torn on cremation.

I thought maybe I'd have my ashes split up between the kids and make them carry ME around for 9 months.:p After that, they can scatter me over the wheat fields of Kansas.

I think it would be cool to donate my body to science. :cool: But, I don't think my family would go for that. So, I guess I would like to be stuck in a wall. It's something that starts with a "m" isn't it? I can't spell it, lol.

Mausoleum?
Or you might want to try the "body farm", they take body donations for forensic science, down in Tennessee :)

I would want a genetic sample of me preserved so that I can be cloned later so that a superior example piece of DNA is not lost to the Universe forever.

No cremation for me. I'm Jewish and I just don't like the idea of my body going into an oven, even if I will be dead already...

I am going to donate whatever organs I can though. I figure I won't need them anymore, may as well give them to someone who does.

Nothing real fancy . Just Cremation for me.

Since my family is dealing with this issue right now I will answer. We are all organ donors. We want a cremation with out a service. I just want my dads ashes after he dies. I don't want people coming over, giving me chicken or something. Just leave us alone. My entire family feels this way.


My dad is actually going to pick out his urn. We will do that next week or so. That is be, well umm interesting to see.

I love the Irish wake.....My dad's family is what I call "good ole, Chicago Irish catholic" and as such the wake's are a party, vigil-style!

When my dad's father died, his wife (my step-grandma) was so stoggy. She wouldn't allow a "real" wake...so they set up the bar in the men's room at the funeral home. TOO funny to watch women sneak into the men's room for a bit of cheer to send Grandpa off with :)

You can be sure your body is donated, if that is your wish. Contact the local medical school and they can give you all the proper legal documents to execute and file with the courts. Your wishes will be carried out and your family is out of the decision loop.

Donation is an admirable thing to do. It something I have considered as well. I just don't wanna be buried afterward is all, and since you aren't *cough* all together anymore, you are cremated.

I have been very clear to my family on this one: Organ donation and cremation followed by a memorial service that is a celebration of life and of going to Heaven.

I believe I am going to live in Heaven, so why should everyone be bummed? Also, I had a difficult time at my sorority sister's funeral which was open casket, as did some others and after seeing how upset it makes people, I can't imagine wanting to put my body on display. It's not even the person anymore - rather an "artist's rendition" if you will...:(

Ah A Hearty Party for My Friends and Brothers! :cool:

Organs donated for the good of mankind, cremated and in a nice urn, Brass Plaque and niche in the wall of the new house! :)

Never thought of DNA for Cloneing, but being one of a kind, dont know if the world is ready for another Me!;)

Hm, eyes are bad, heart is getting older, and the liver is like a rock! Is there anything left:confused:

First of all, I would donate whatever organs were useable.

I just attended a sister's funeral service this week, and the casket was open until the service began. When they closed it (while we were all sitting there) I had to look away because I didn't want to remember that, although I can kind of remember it because I knew what they were doing and I can picture it in my mind. Anyway...I don't want that to be how people remember me. I don't like the thought of being laid out for people to look at me and I definitely don't like the thought of being in a box and laying underground while I wait for whatever to happen to my body. I don't like imagining my loved ones that way (even though I do sometimes), and I don't want to imagine myself that way either. I want to be cremated, have a memorial service in a church (with a picture display) and then whatever my family wants to do afterwards. As far as my ashes are concerned, right now I would want them buried with my family in a cemetary. Later on in life, I might change my mind. If I died right now my mom wants to have a place to come "visit me" so I'd let them decide to put my ashes in the family plot if it would make her feel better.

PsychTau

I don't really know about cremeation or burial. Haven't really thought about that.

Organ donation, but no eyes. Eyes freak me out, and for some reason I want to keep my cornas. Plus, I'm near blind anyway and I'm 21. I imagine when I die (I plan to live a long, healthy life) I'll be offically blind and no one will want my eyes anyway.

But I do know that I want a PARTY...like an Irish wake. I want everyone talking about all the great, wonderful, stupid, and crazy things I did. Pints of Yuengling/Miller Lites, glasses of DiSanaro Sours, Sour Apple Martinis/Cosmopolitians, and shots of Chocolate Cake/Mind Erasers will be the only drinks anyone can have, as they are my favorite drinks.

And NO ONE is to wear BLACK. I don't care how slimming it is. I'll be in a better place...there will be no morning.



As a side note: for those interested in donating a body to science, besides medical schools, there are forensic sites, so that scientist can explore what happens to the body after death so they can help put a time frame on murders. I'm thinking about that. My death could help could help catch someone's murderer.

Re: Do You Care What Happens to You (Physically) After You Die?
 

My mom's best friend since childhood died in December 2002. She'd been battling breast cancer, but the death was quite unexpected (she was medically mismanaged and overmedicated. the cancer didn't kill her, the doctors did). At the wake there was an open casket, and my mom and the woman's second-oldest son had them close the casket. They just knew it would be something that she would want.

My dad's funeral had an open casket. I'm not sure why we did it that way. I have some pretty horrid images burned in my brain from that whole experience; I would have much rathered it be a closed casket.

I really don't know about me. If not cremation, then at least a closed casket. If there's an open casket, I wont' be able to say something snide to you for staring at me.

I don't care. They can take my organs and what ever they want. Once I am dead they are no good to me. If my family is secure finaically burying is fine but if money happens to be an issue at the time cremation is fine.

DolphinChica...
I forgot to mention my eyes in my post. I don't want my eyes/corneas donated. They'll have to give my contacts to whomever gets my corneas anyway....LOL! But yea...I'll keep my eye parts.

Has anyone ever seen pictures of their relatives in a casket? My grandmother has pictures of her father on display in a casket in her house! Apparently way back when, people would have the viewing/visitation in a house instead of the funeral home. So, I've seen pictures of my great grandfather dead in the house where I would visit my grandmother. That was wierd.

My other grandmother has pictures of her husband (who died when my mom was a teen) in his casket and I've seen those as well.

Anyone else ever run across pictures like that in their family?

PsychTau

NO OPEN CASKETS unless Kevyn Aucoin comes back from the grave to do my makeup. I am far too pale already and don't need to look like chalk. I used to want an open casket until I became stuck with memories I never ever wanted.

I also, having an McIrish surname, want a happy wake - if people want to cry they can go outside and whine.

Definitely organ donation and cremation as well.

I know I want my parents to be cremated so I can have them with me wherever I go. As far as my body, I'm not creeped out by being burned or buried so long as I'm already dead, so whatever my family decides would be best for them is what I'd like done.


I do remember reading something a while back about being cremated and turned into carbon, thereby turned into a diamond. THAT'D be cool!

Wouldn't it be cool though, to have a pre-funeral funeral . . one where you are alive but everyone thinks you are dead?

I just hate to miss my own party . . .

Not relatives,, but I was browsing the message boards on WeddingChannel.com, and this one girl had something in her sig about her "angel in heaven" and in her sig-banner, she had a photo of her and her husband, and a newborn infant, with what looked like a flower in its hands or something. It didn't quite look like a normal healthy baby.

I'm pretty sure that it was a stillborn baby that they took pictures of anyway, and she scanned them for all to see and be creeped out by. I know that's a tragic situation, but really, do you think the average girl doing her wedding planning wants to see pictures of it?

I had dead baby dreams that night.

Life Gem

I still think I would like to be made into a diamond.
It only takes a thimble full of ashes to do so, and then the rest would be given to my family. Of course, that is if my family chose to do that with me.

Most likely I'd be buried. Hopefully not ANYTIME soon :( Stuff like this freaks me out!

Hootie, when I saw you were the last poster on this thread, I recalled your information on this "diamond". I kind of like this idea too. I can just see a conversation-
Hey, I really like that ring
I'ts Mom
Oh, it's your Mom's?
No, IT IS Mom!:D

OMG, C, you are just to damn funny!:D

I am picturing it my mind and laffing like hell!:)

You need a rest, working 3 days a week sucks dont it!:confused:

Head North ToTo, in the AM, the Sun is on your right! When you reach KC, just call and will guide you in!;)

I want amazing grace played with bag pipes at some point during my "process"

I have told EVERYONE I know that I want to be cremated! Burial is disgusting and takes up space in the earth. I'm an organ donor and am considering donating my entire body to science, but after they've finished with me, I want to be burned. And, I don't want to be kept in an urn.

I joked with my mother that I would like to be baked into a huge cake so everyone could ingest me (yeah, it's pretty nasty!!!) but I really just want to be spread over a garden or something. IDEALLY, my ashes would be put in the ground and a Sterling Silver Rose bush would be planted on me. Me lovey Theta Nu!!

I agree

Am I the only one who has some Irish blood in my veins? The only photo I ever saw of my grandmother until I was about 19 was a picture of her in her casket. We take pictures of most relatives; unfortunately, we didn't get one of my dad. :(

Another question: do you believe in children going to the funeral home? I do, if kept in control by an adult. I went to my first funeral when I was four, and have no problem with going to a visitation.

i'd go for cremation. no need for people to come to my grave and be sad. though in all reality i'm grateful i could go to the gravesties of past relatives whom I never knew. I guess that's quite a hypocrisy there. i'd prefer donating my body to science though probably. why not? right?