Harris, Mark. Grave Matters. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2007. 69-125. Print.
As opposed to the "conventional" way of caring for the dead, one can also scatter ashes at sea, create an artificial reef out of the ashes, or have a home funeral. These are all cheaper ways of giving those who have died the same amount of love and respect.
"Jerry sprinkles the petals from a dozen red and white roses over the ashes... they're mainly intended to serve as a kind of blind."
"Don and George, both decked out in T-shirts and baseball caps bearing the eternal reefs logo,... stand in the yard."
"Alison's schoolmates, teachers, babysitters, friends--several hundred people in all--came into this room to say goodbye."
I thoroughly enjoyed this part more than the first because it described what I thought were much more meaningful topics. These topics were also ones that aren't practiced as dominantly in our society. The first one, burials at sea, brought families out on boats and gave them a chance to be a part of letting go with peace of mind. One of the members said the water also helped a lot. The second type was reef memorials. This one is my favorite be ause it allows family members to put the ashes of their loved ones into something that will inevitably create new life. That is how I want my ashes to be cared for when I die. The third was a home funeral. This let people care for the dead themselves as well as let hundreds of people come and pay their respects for a longer period of time without having to pay a significant price.
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