by Kathy Greenough
It was a day like any other day. Bill and I were having a perfectly normal conversation. There was something different about this conversation, however. I wanted to be close to friends and enjoy the view while Bill wanted to be close to his family and make sure he could hear the music. It wasn't about where we wanted to retire or where we wanted to go on our next trip or even where we wanted to sit in the sanctuary for a worship service--it was about where we wanted our columbarium niches to be for our inurned ashes.
The conversation was not unlike the notion I have that I need to start planning my own memorial service. I probably am prompted to do this because I have lost several family members in the past few years and I have experienced the angst that family members can experience if clear instructions are not left by the beloved family member who has just passed to the life eternal. Besides, I think there is a big part of me that wants one last chance to be in charge. I've got a folder in my desk with a collection of prayers which have touched my heart; scriptues that have special meaning to me and a variety of music that has made my soul soar over the span of my lifetime. I know from personal experience that it will allow those I care about the most an easier transition to a life without my physical presence.
Many people procrastinate about selecting their final resting place and most have never even considered what they might want their memorial service to include. Some may even consider these choices morbid -- but who amongst us doesn't have a will, or at the very least know they should have one! For me, they are a way of befriending my own death while I am still able to make these decisions for myself.
At my age, I am no longer under the illusion that I am somehow exempt from mortality and I have become quite comfortable with the fact that someday I will die and join those that have gone on before me. Perhaps it is just my continual aging that has gotten me to this point, but by selecting where I want my ashes to be placed and what I want read and sung at my memorial service means that I can somehow reach beyond my death to comfort those I care about the most.
I want to commend the work done by those who have served on the CCPC Columbarium project. Their thoughtful reserach has resulted in an appropriate process for us to make our personal decisions abaout our own inurnment. The Breadth of work done by this committee includes not only the physical location and design of the CCPC Columbarium, but the legal process involved in this decision as well. If you are interested in making a decision about your final inurnment and you haven't talked to one of the CCPC Columbarium members, you should. The sensitivity and thoroughness with which this committee has planned every detail is amazing and I kn ow you will be pleased with the care they have taken to provide this opportunity for the CCPC community of faith.
Bill and I will be making our decision soon -- we would love for you to join us.