This beautiful and peaceful gravel road leads from the main entrance into the heart of the Better Place Forest located along the Rock River in Oregon, Illinois. I figured death is inevitable and wouldn’t it be better to choose our final resting place now so our kids don’t have to make those decisions when they might be emotionally distraught? I was excited about the trip while hubby was a little nervous and creeped out by the thought of seeing where his remains would be placed to rest. Well, we got to do that this past weekend. The forest wasn’t open at the time, but we selected a tree anyway, knowing we could switch trees once we could actually visit in person.
Your burial takes up less space than a casket and the forest is pretty and peaceful, full of life and nature.Ī few months ago, hubby and I chose to have our ashes placed at the base of this red oak tree (center of photo above) during an online tour of the Rock River forest location. This seems like such an organic and eco-friendly option to me. A small round marker is then placed there so that friends and family can find you if they wish to visit and pay respects. You choose a tree in one of their forests where your ashes, mixed with soil, are spread at the base of the tree during a ceremony you or your family plans. (Better Place Forests didn’t compensate me for this post, in case you’re wondering.) Then I heard about Better Place Forests and I knew this was the place for me after I pass on. The only problem with that end of life option is you have to get permission to plant that tree somewhere. I loved the idea of my body becoming nutrition for the tree as it pulled nutrients out of the soil. So, I was intrigued when I saw an ad where they put your ashes in a large vase of sorts with a tree planted in it. And so, the thought of my body being stuck in a casket kind of freaks me out. Luckily my best friend’s sister figured out how to open the trunk, but I’ve been claustrophobic ever since. When I was five years old I got stuck in a steamer trunk and feared I’d never get out and my mom would have to feed me bits of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches through the holes of the trunk. Now this may seem silly to some, but I’ve always known I don’t want to be buried in a casket.
I decided then and there I wanted to adopt her attitude about death and aging. Each decade of life is different and enjoyable in a new way. She assured me she enjoyed every stage of her life. My mom was never afraid, and she didn’t mind aging. We want to live forever if we can live happily.Īs a kid I’d ask my mom how she felt about growing older and getting closer to her last days.
If you’re like me, you don’t like to think about dying. After giving it some thought, I decided my recent experience on the topic might be helpful to others. I debated about sharing this post on my blog since it talks about an uncomfortable topic – the end of life and choosing your final resting place.
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