Allow Yourself: Your Final Decision
Every time I see those new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing cars, I tell myself that someday I'll buy one. Then I rationalize that I'll do it someday, just not now. There are two things that are a guarantee in life, death and taxes. Taxes can be avoided. But death cannot. We all know it, but we often push the thought away, unable to fully comprehend our mortality. It's considered "morbid" or "depressing," yet it's the ultimate, guaranteed final outcome for everyone.
Is it so wrong to actively participate in planning where your body will rest after your journey of 40, 60, or 90 years? Why shouldn’t you decide where you will be memorialized? Not just making the decision but making it a grand decision with intention and meaning. Where will people come to be near you, your physical body, or your cremated ashes? Will it be a beautiful location? A peaceful one? Don’t you want to ensure that the location will remain that way forever? By choosing the exact location with intention and meaning, it will be whatever you want it to be—a place that holds significance for you, whether it's a scenic view, a geographic location, a valley, or a hilltop.
Allow yourself this one final purchase decision. The car I want will be a rust bucket in 50 years, likely meaningless to me, my family, or my grandchildren. But the place where I choose to lay my body is a final decision that reflects me and my life. Being an active participant in deciding where my body or ashes will lie for eternity is powerful. It's a decision made by me, for me, forever.
This reminds me of a recent story from one of our cemetery parks. A man and his daughter traveled from far away to visit his final resting place in eastern Pennsylvania. He had invested in a private mausoleum sight unseen. Upon delivery, he wanted to see it in person. When he arrived, he didn't like the original location he had chosen. He wanted to move it. Our advisor worked with management and found a new spot on one of the higher points in the park, overlooking the cemetery. This was the spot he wanted. Yes, it cost more, but he didn't care. Later, an employee who witnessed the interaction said, “He wants to be the mayor of the park.” I laughed when I heard this and thought, why not? Good for him for actively making this decision. To his daughter, someday, the very experience of choosing this location with him will make it so much more meaningful.
We are going to die. Allow yourself to be selfish and make this decision as you desire. You deserve it. You owe it to yourself to place your body in a thoughtful and beautiful place. Do it for yourself as one final act of appreciation for a life well-lived and a Life Remembered.
Why shouldn’t you decide where you will be memorialized? Not just making the decision, making it a grand decision with intention and meaning.
- Where will people come when they want to be near you, your physical body, your cremated ashes, anything that was some part of you?
- Will it be a beautiful location?
- Will it be a peaceful location?
- Don’t you want to be sure that the location will stay that way forever?
