Funeral things

OK, that sounds a bit morbid for a Friday morning - when one should be celebrating the coming of the Weekend! (and sleeping in and all that... finally) But lately I've run into some things that have made me think I should put together a "What I Want At My Funeral" list.

It must have started when my mom died, and we had to organize her funeral and memorial services. Suddenly I noticed all sorts of things that may normally have passed me by. I started wondering what my family would do if they had to plan my funeral - if they even knew the Inside Me well enough to understand how I would have wanted things. Not that it would really matter what they did, if I were dead! :) (I believe death is a long, unknowing sleep until the resurrection, no immediate trip to eternity while you wait for the rest of the world to catch up. So I certainly wouldn't be able to see what they were up to, or care.)

I wonder if they'd give me a green burial. One that doesn't fill the air with cremation smoke, or the ground with embalming chemicals.

I wonder if they'd choose to bury me in one of these, or these, or these.

I wonder if they would celebrate my life, with less focus on mourning my death. I wonder if they would incorporate ceremonies that harkens back to our ancient roots (both Celtic and African), or play a song that sounds like this (warning, this is from Stargate Atlantis season 2, episode 13 - if you haven't seen it yet, there are some spoilers. The song is a background to part of the episode, so there are voices and actions along with the music. 6+MB)

I wonder if they'd plant a tree in my memory, or a community garden.

And after my body is in the ground, the funeral over - I wonder if they will continue to raise my son in an awareness of the environment, an enjoyment of the mysterious, and permission to follow whatever path he needs to.

Unless I specifically tell them to - I doubt it will happen.

::update::
Lyrics for the song "Beyond the Night", linked above.

Beyond the night, a rising sun
Beyond the night, the battle's won
The battle is won

Fear and shame now in the past
Pain and sorrow gone at last
Gone at last

Circle renewed, peace will be found
Beyond the night, on sacred ground

River flows, led by the wind
First new breath, our journey begins
Our journey begins