It was a relief for the family. They were exhausted by grief and the countless tough decisions they had to make for the funeral of their mother. So when the funeral director said they could just do cremation now and worry about the burial options later, they were grateful.
Fast forward a year, and the family realized the time for a decision had come. The daughter and her husband were downsizing to a condo; there would be little space to properly accommodate her mother’s urn along with that of her father, entrusted to her care after her mother died. The son and his wife lived out of state; transporting the urns didn’t feel right. Plus, the daughter wanted to be able to visit a place to remember her mom.
It was time to scatter ashes.
There are many reasons why people choose cremations and end up with their loved ones’ urns in their homes. Some that we hear include:
A lack of funds for a burial plot after paying for the funeral service or a lengthy illness.
An inability to make a decision in the fog of grief.
The desire to avoid a traditional cemetery setting.
The wish to keep a loved one close for a little longer.
All are valid and understandable; often, however, families find at some point that they want a permanent resting place for their loved ones.
Scattering ashes is increasingly a less desirable option. Families have to consider whether they’ll forever have access to the spot at which they scatter the ashes. And more people are realizing the environmental impacts of scattering ashes into bodies of water or other sensitive sites.
The idea that a loved one is in a secure place, easily visited by all members of the family, is highly appealing to many who have urns on a shelf. Often they feel a sense of peace after establishing a space to go to remember their loved one.
Families often are surprised, too, to realize that the memory of their loved one is no less close or dear after interring the ashes. In fact, the Memory Medallion that Seven Stones provides with every placement or burial in our botanical gardens cemetery often brings to life their loved one in a way that they never imagined.
Seven Stones also provides payment plans that make a decision more affordable, a unique offering among cemeteries. And our stunning grounds in the Colorado foothills, particularly our new Brookside Patio Memorial spaces, which just debuted with a 20 percent discount, feel more like a welcoming family gathering space than a traditional cemetery.
Grief and exhaustion can be the enemies of forward thinking for families; many find later that they wish for a different option. Cremation offers families the time to postpone a decision. But when the time is right, interring the ashes in a cemetery such as Seven Stones can provide a tremendous sense of resolution and peace.
