September 29, 2015 by Miller Funeral & Cremation Services Staff
One of the most deeply intimate and personal experiences in life is considering your end of life wishes. For many, the decision to make advance plans is one to alleviate family members of the financial and emotional burden of making these decisions during a time of loss. For others, the decision is based on personal beliefs, traditions, and self-expression.
Since there are benefits and limitations to cremation vs. burial, it’s important to explore these thoroughly. This is a significant decision that understandably takes time and careful consideration. You may wish to inquire with family members and experienced funeral planning professionals, who can help broaden your understanding of and comfort level with these options.
Traditional Burial Service
The ceremonial burial is what most of us have come to accept as the norm – the way we view the memorial service and how we might expect to honor the deceased. This traditional burial ceremony evokes feelings of family history, reverence, and, in many cases, an adherence to religious beliefs.
The benefits of a traditional burial service can include:
- Burial offers a location for grieving loved ones to come to pay respects, year after year – the grave site is often within a family plot, giving the visitor a sense of ancestry and togetherness
- Burial may adhere to religious or generational beliefs, rites, and ceremonies
- Burial is often viewed as more natural, as it allows the body to return to the earth
- Many people find the selection of the casket and the headstone, as well as the inscription, to be a meaningful process that exemplifies the life of the loved one
Cremation And End Of Life Memorial
Over the past few decades cremation has taken the place of burial as a popular, if not convenient option. This is due, in part, to of the financial “benefits”, since cremation doesn’t always involve the costs of embalming, purchasing a casket, burial plot, headstone, etc.
Cremation is also viewed as a more ecologically sound choice, and is a good option when families are dispersed in different states or countries, or the deceased wishes to have ashes scattered at a favorite location, rather than entombed.
The advantages of a cremation service include:
- In most cases, it is less expensive than a ground burial
- It offers more creative and flexible memorial service options, since you are not bound to a plot of land
- Many environmentally-minded people appreciate the fact that cremation doesn’t require more land consumption
- It allows for families in different locations to conduct their own memorial services locally These days, many families are selecting cremation in order to customize a memorial service that is most meaningful and relevant to the life of the departed loved one.
End of life services can include anything from a basic decorative urn to cremains being made into jewelry, released over the blue skies and rolling hills in a memorial skydive, and even set out to sea.
Of course, understanding your options, the costs, logistics, and even laws pertaining to cremation ceremonies can be complex.
To help navigate these choices in your end of life plans, the staff at Miller Funeral Services and Cremation Society of Texas is here for you. We can help answer any questions and assist in planning the service that meets your needs and truly honors your life in the way that exemplifies your wishes.
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