When a loved one asked to be cremated before passing away, he or she may not have specified where to scatter the remains. This can leave you with a bit of a challenging situation, as you want to proceed in a manner that honors the person — even if you're unsure of what he or she would have wanted. You might feel a considerable amount of pressure trying to make the "right" decision, and if you have other family members who have their own ideas about where to scatter the remains, you may even find yourself in a bit of a conflict. The good news is that there's no rule stating that you have to choose just one location. Here are some ideas that you can pursue.
Somewhere Close To Home
You often think about the deceased's favorite outdoor place when it comes to brainstorming a spot to scatter the remains, and you can rarely go wrong with that approach. However, you might choose to scatter some of the remains there and reserve some to scatter closer to home. If your elderly parent has passed away, you and your siblings might like to scatter a small portion of the remains in each of your backyards. Or, you might wish to scatter some off the dock at the family cottage so that you can think of your loved one when you gather at the cottage as a family.
Over Some Graves
Another idea to pursue with the cremated remains is to scatter some of them over a couple sites at one or more cemeteries. For example, if the deceased person's parents are buried in a local cemetery, a small pinch of the remains scattered over each of the parents' gravesites can be something that provides comfort to you and your family. The same holds true if the deceased person's grandparents or other family members are buried.
Hang Onto Some
There's no rule that suggests you need to scatter all of the cremated remains in the urn. While some people keep the remains with the intention of displaying them at home, you might alternatively think about hanging onto some of the remains with the intention of scattering them in the future. Perhaps you haven't identified the perfect location, and while you've been happy with some of the spots that you've used, it can be comforting to reserve some of the remains in the event that you think of another place to scatter them in the future.
Contact a funeral home, like Union Funeral Home-Lytwyn & Lytwyn, for more help.
