Cremation or Burial - That is the Question

Published: December 15, 2007

This is a touchy subject to some, but being the frugal and practical person that I am, I can't help but lean heavily towards cremation. Why not donate every donatable organ to someone who can put it to good use (well, being middle-aged hopefully there are a few good organs left that can be of use to someone else). The rest - well, cremate it and allow me to do my part in nourishing the continuum of life.

Think about it for a minute. When a person dies, everything that made the person lovable (or unlovable) is gone. The person's soul, personality, emotions, sense of humor, and even the weird little quirks are all gone. What's left behind is a vessel. The vessel is referred to as a body. It no longer carries the name of the person you loved. The vessel had served its purpose, now it’s time for it to move onto the next stage in the cycle of life.

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of a funeral, in July 2004, was $6,500. That cost included an outer burial container but did not include cemetery costs. We are currently in late 2007 and we all know that funeral prices have not gone down since 2004. The average cost for cremation, on the other hand, can range anywhere from $800 according to an article on MSN Money to as much as $1500 according to other sources.

No matter what the source, the cost for cremation appears to be less than one-third the cost of traditional burials. As far as I'm concerned, the Extra $4,000 is a steep price to pay to purchase something that will be immediately buried in the ground, never to be seen again. For what use? Out of all of the people that you knew personally that have been buried, has there ever been a need to 'revisit' them?

Maybe I'm too frugal, but cremation sounds like a win-win to me. It not only costs less, but it helps to nourish the earth.

This is a touchy subject and I don't want to be insensitive. I honor and respect the wishes of the deceased, but for me, I'd like to be cremated and distributed somewhere in the open. It could be in the woods, on a beach over the ocean. Hmmm, let me think about that again. I think the beach is where I'd like my final resting place to be.

That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking with it!

About the Author: I am Felicia A. Williams, a wife, mom, grandma, writer and eternal student.

Last Modified: 25 November 2020