At the double funeral there were two caskets. One, for the 95 year old mother, was pearl white, with beautiful golden accents.
The one for the 74 year old son was beautiful, polished wood. It was nicer than any piece of furniture I’ve ever owned owned. And far more expensive.
They were filled with soft, cushiony, satin pillows and lace, flowing out like a a cloud, though I did my absolute best not to look into the caskets directly.
They were beautiful, and I’m sure, that between them, they were more expensive than any car I’ve ever owned.
I just thought, “What a shame. All of that opulence, all of that money for one hour of viewing then all that beauty gets dropped six feet in the ground with dirt shoveled on top of it, never to be seen again.
I idly thought it was too bad that they couldn’t have some sort of insert that, when the time came, they could just pull the body out, close the lid of the insert and and lower it into the sealed vault that was waiting 6 feet under the ground, and then they, or the family, could reuse the casket. It’s nothing but a show piece, after all.

Rick and I talked extensively about it last night. We agreed that we wouldn’t want our kids to spend more on our funerals than they would for a new car, which they couldn’t afford either! Even if they could, or we had the money laying around, why?? What a waste.

So, why don’t they make caskets reusable?

Rick has made a complete 180 over the years since we’ve met. Last night he agreed that cremation is the best way to go, all the way around. 15 years ago he would have refused to even consider it! He would have been aghast.