Planning For Your Death w/ Roxanne Walsh, Funeral Celebrant
On February 19, I was invited to sit down in the studio with Sickboy Podcast's own Jeremie, Brian and Taylor I must have been feeling excited because I arrived before 7, thinking that was the time I needed to be there. Turns out I had it down in my schedule for 7:30, oh well, I got to explore another area of Halifax I have never been to. I spent some time watching a Racoon roaming the street while I waited. I love watching wildlife.
After being greeted at the door by one big and beautiful French Mastiff, (glad I like dogs!), I met the fellas that wanted to speak with me.
We covered a lot of ground in an hour and a half, including my new e-books Planning for a Good Death, User's Guide and Workbook. It was clear we could have kept on talking. I won't spoil it for you now, by going over it all here, you'll just have to have a listen for yourself.
But I will write about some of the things that we didn't get into that I think would add to the information that we discussed.
Brian seemed quite fascinated with the futuristic idea of being awoken from a deep freeze sometime in the future. Since it hadn't come up before in conversations I have had with clients, I didn't have much to add. Upon doing a little research on the topic, I found out that it is quite likely, (if cryogenics works), Brian will not be able to:
a) afford it (he thought Wills were too expensive, which aren't when you consider the cost of an intestacy. Hey Brian, did you know there is an app for Wills in Nova Scotia?)
b) that he would not have his memory intact when he thaws out
I'm now wondering if not having a memory of his life on earth to this point in time would be a factor in his decision making. I mean, if you are into reincarnation at all, wouldn't it just be better to come back in a new body? It seems when we arrive at birth, we have a case of amnesia anyway, so why try to cure a sick body someday in the future, when we can have a new one? If there is something to reincarnation, that is. Hmm....creepy thought, what if you reincarnated and found your cryogenically frozen body?
Jeremie's desire to have his body float around as space junk orbiting the earth or heading out into deep space was interesting. I am not aware of any fully intact bodies floating around up there yet, but, I suppose it is only a matter of time. After all, a Tesla car has just arrived in space, and certainly, people are already blasting their cremation ashes out there.
On the topic of cremation, did you know that in Colorado there is a legal open-air funeral pyre? This appeals to me, for as I said on the show, I would love to have my body be transformed by fire. This is my plan A. But likely my plan B will come into play here in Nova Scotia, which is Green Burial, in a location that ensures the groundwater is protected.
But before all of that, I want to have a Living Funeral. This is the type of event where I get to throw a party and invite all of my friends before I die, and that I get to attend. I love the idea of sharing stories, appreciation and love in a final farewell before my departure, to those whose presence in my life made it all worthwhile. Yes, I'm all about sharing the love.
Dare to do Death Differently!
Check out the resources page on my website for more ideas.