Very mixed end of the year.

[greek_jester]

Now to figure out what I am going to do with them.

Scatter them both over Scotts Bluff. That way they'll be together and you'll have honoured your father's intentions. Maybe you'll even be able to persuade some of your siblings to join you.

[csquared]

When my Mother died, my Dad held on to her remains. He was going to scatter her over the north face of Scotts Bluff. He died before he could do so.

Now, I have five sibling. It is almost impossible to get us to agree on anything. So it was decided to split both of their remains between the six of us. I have two pencil bags, each with a portion of my parents remains. We did all agree that my Mother would have approved of the colors that were chosen for the bags. Now to figure out what I am going to do with them.

[AnaKhouri]

My dad is currently in the guest room closet. When we purchase a house in the next couple years we are going to plant a tree, and plant him with it 🙂. Then when this cat of his dies (they were BFFs, I even included him in the obit) we will bury him under the tree.

In Japan, cremated remains are laid out and the family goes through them with chopsticks to pick out the larger bits of bone. I was reading a book about a British woman who was killed in Tokyo, and after her cremation her bewildered family was ushered in to do this. Her father was the only one who stayed and he said he found the process comforting.

[mjr]

So since my dad was cremated, I found a YouTube video on what happens during the cremation process. I now know more than I probably really wanted to about cremation.

It's here, if anyone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TSFX-hFgIk

Also, I was a touch surprised that his cremains were in a plastic box inside a cardboard box. And that's how they were buried.

[mjr]

It's always hard to lose a family member, especially a parent -- something I know too well with both my parents. I wish you and your family strength and blessings for this coming Friday.

He chose cremation, so I don't know how I'm going to react to the fact that there's a small box instead of a casket.

[Android Kaeli]

It's always hard to lose a family member, especially a parent -- something I know too well with both my parents. I wish you and your family strength and blessings for this coming Friday.

[mjr]

So my dad is being laid to rest on Friday...

I hope it's OK for me to drop these here...

"Memories" by Elvis Presley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qsh10Gldxg

A rendition of "Nearer, My God, To Thee": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCry7JVLZUs

"Let It Be" by The Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4

[MoonCat]

So sorry for everyone's losses. It's never easy. Peace to you!

[mjr]

You have my deepest sympathies. My mum didn't even make it 7 hours into 2019.

Wow. My condolences. You have my sympathies as well.

[greek_jester]

You have my deepest sympathies. My mum didn't even make it 7 hours into 2019.

[mjr]

I already know that I'm gonna cry at the funeral.

My sister is coordinating everything, but since I'm next of kin, I get the folded flag.

I know that there's near a 100% chance that either during Taps or during the flag presentation I'm gonna lose it.

I've already told my wife that I want her sitting next to me at the funeral. Usually when we go places our son sits between us. I don't know when the funeral is yet.

I even found a short clip on YouTube of "Nearer, My God, To Thee" played on violin that I listened to.

I wasn't as close to my dad as I probably could have been, and I regret now that I didn't get closer to him as an adult. The very morning that my sister called me and told me, I cracked open a beer, did a "here's to you" type thing, and "poured one out" for him.

[Mental_Mouse]

Also: May his memory be a blessing.

[morgana]

My sympathies as well. It can make holidays hard. My dad died on my birthday.

[Mental_Mouse]

My sympathies. My father passed away on his 60th birthday, which was December 26, 2000. It's always rough.

[Weaselwise]

It's certainly a rotten time of the year to lose loved ones- my partners father also passed away on Boxing Day so I can empathise with how you might be feeling. He was 92 tho so it was expected... 67 is no age. I am sorry for your loss.