Why does it matter what happens to my body when I die?

For many of us, death is something that only happens on TV or in movies, or to elderly distant relatives we've only met once or twice. The reality is that we are often disconnected from death and the realities of dying and the stress it can put on our friends and families, not only emotionally but financially as well. Mourning a loved one becomes much more difficult if you don't know what they wanted to happen to their body or from a funeral service. Even those who are in touch with their own mortality are often unaware of the options they have upon death and their rights as a corpse.

Embalming paired with a traditional funeral has been popular since the civil war, but cremation is on the rise as a cheaper and slightly more eco-friendly alternative, although that too pumps ash and carbon into our atmosphere. A choice between a fiery disposal or veins pumped full of chemicals with the goal of preservation are often seen as our only choices when it comes to our bodies, and many fail to discuss their wishes with their families before they pass. The purpose of this blog is to introduce alternatives to embalming and cremation as well as explaining the processes of those as well. There will be at least eight posts in addition to the two on embalming and cremation that explain alternatives that are either eccentric or eco-friendly, although some are both.

I hope these posts are useful and educational for everyone who reads them.

Until death do us part,

Alyssa