Halloween can be a time for me to have some fun with some of the skills I have acquired over the years working as a funeral director. One of the many hats worn by funeral directors and embalmers is what is called restorative art and cosmetics. We use these skills all the time to make the deceased look peaceful and natural. Death has a negative effect on skin tone as well as blemishes, and dis-figuration from disease or accidents. Learning these skills is part of our education in a college curriculum called mortuary science. The real learning goes on over the course of our careers and if you’re lucky you get to work alongside of a funeral director experienced in such an art. It can be very rewarding to be able to give survivors a chance to view and say goodbye when without your skills it would not be pleasant or possible at all.
So back to Halloween and a time to bring my skills to the dark side. No! I don’t dig up bodies to practice my craft. I don’t embalm road kill for lawn decorations either! But when the kids need face painting it’s time for me to shine. Peaceful , huh! Ten years younger, noooo. That’s not what they want is it. I always joke with them that I need them to lay on their backs and stay very still. This Halloween I began to wonder about how many other funeral directors have been called upon when it come to fun cosmetics. I’m sure I’m not unique . My two girls are getting older now 11 &13. My oldest, Jena told me she would do her own face this year, she did a great job! for the school dance last week. But today she asked me, when she saw a really creepy mouth on the internet. We got up early so she could be painted for school. It’s the first picture below.
Scattering ashes is now the preferred choice disposition for the majority of people who choose cremation. Places of natural beauty and special meaning are often selected as the final resting place for those scattered near and far. Locations are limitless but two popular choices stand out. Into the sea is very popular throughout the world. Closer to home, scattering into the garden is the preferred choice. If you think about it the garden is a micro world where the full cycle of life continues year after year. It is hard to feel more connected to the earth then when we work with nature in our gardens. Working the soil is a deep rooted and natural cycle that humans have benefited from since ancient times. As we reap the harvest and admire the beauty of the garden, a spiritual connection is ever present. Its no wonder why so many choose the garden as their final place of rest.
Just like when the funeral industry created biodegradable scattering urns for those who scatter at sea, a new way to scatter in the garden will now harmonize with nature to memorialize the dead. Introducing Birdhouse Memorial Urns!
Birdhouse Urns
These urns serve as beautiful and functional scattering urns, that following the scattering ceremony, convert into a memorial birdhouse, providing a true “Living Memorial”
Birdhouse Urns Provide:
• A dignified vessel to hold the ashes and display at funeral ceremonies.
• A functional scattering urn that will easily disperse our loved one’s remains back to the earth.
• A lasting living memorial that will give survivors a necessary place to visit, remember and heal for years to come.
Birdhouse Memorial Urns are the natural choice for many:
They are a natural way to go back to the earth and continue the cycle of life. As birds come and go with the seasons to build their nest and raise their young, the cycle of life continues. These memorial not only provide shelter to our winged friends, but also give comfort to the survivors when they come to these places of rest. Birds often remind us of a sense of freedom and oneness with nature that many of us yearn for. Watching the birds provides us with tranquil moments in time that help us reflect on the lives of our loved one’s for generations to come.
Birdhouse Memorial Urns Are:
• A memorial that will live on
• Earth Friendly
• Creates Wildlife Habitat
• A place to come where spirits will soar and memories will fly
• A place where life goes on
Birdhouse Memorial Urns come with everything you need to convert them into a memorial birdhouse. They also come with a handmade cast paper heart that is embedded with seeds. You may plant this heart in memory and beautiful forget me-not flowers will grow year after year.
Jeff Staab, a funeral director and owner of Cremation Solutions got the idea a few years ago when he was selling a traditional scattering urn to a client family in rural Vermont. The family wanted to scatter the ashes of their father in his favorite meadow on their property. They like the idea of the scattering urn and the way it functioned, but asked what would they do with it after the scattering. Jeff suggested that they screw it to a tree and drill a hole in the side so that the birds that lived in the meadow could use it for a home. The family love the idea. A year later the mother died and they requested the same scattering urn so that mom could also have her own memorial birdhouse. These were the first birdhouse memorial urns. Now their are several unique styles to reflect on one’s individual taste and style. Please don’t tell the birds why they are getting such classy new homes, we wouldn’t want them to fell guilty about their new dwellings.
