cross-posted from: https://wolfballs.com/post/8907
This week someone in my extended family died: they were old and had been sick for a while so, while naturally sad, I accept their death.
As I have been involved with funeral arrangements and other activities related to the death, this got me taking a deep dive in to the whole process of death, dying, planning for funerals, and so on, which I would like to put up multiple posts on as neither school nor parents have given me much orientation or training on these subjects.
"just 36 percent of Americans have talked with or written plans for loved ones about their funeral, according to a 2021 survey by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)." https://www.aarp.org/home-family/friends-family/info-2020/funeral-planning-tips.html
If this number is accurate, that means most people haven't thought about their future funerals. I think it would be good to get those numbers up - I've definitely found the thinking this week to be beneficial and interesting.
A simple topic that comes to mind that fascinates me is gravedigging - while I am used to seeing someone come in with a backhoe machine, I guess you can still just dig graves by hand. It takes a few people and a few hours to do so, depending on how deep you're going.
I guess for drainage, some graves have concrete laid in them?
I'm also not sure how you would break up the frozen ground where I'm at in the wintertime, but I assume it just takes a little extra muscle.
I guess I was kind of amazed at how low tech this process can be: it's just not something I thought about.
Home burial or burial on private lands is another related topic - I don't know if cemeteries allow people to dig graves for people they know themselves, I assume in many places they don't.
Anyway, any thoughts on digging graves by hand, or yourself, or by renting a backhoe?