Scattering at Sea

Pt Reyes: Courtesy of pdphoto.org

This has always been a popular way to scatter ones ashes and many companies exist to help you do just that. When Ghandi died, he wanted a traditional Hindu burial but he was scattered around the country in urns so your relatives don’t always follow your wishes. However, this may be an extreme case because there were political implications with his burial. One set of his ashes were recently scattered at sea by his family. If this is the way you select, you can readily find a company to scatter your ashes in any body of water on earth. All you have to do is Google “ashes at sea”. Off the Hawaiian Islands, in the south pacific, near Antarctica, or in the Caribbean are all good places to be scattered at sea.

Spirit whisperer

Sunrise or sunset makes an excellent time to scatter the ashes. Stop the boat and let it drift with the wind. Mind the wind and pick the leeward side so the ashes will blow out over the water. If you would like, mix water with the ashes so you can pour them into the water from the urn. A very nice way to spread the ashes is to place a wreathe of flowers in the water and then pour the ashes. The wreathe of flowers will give a nice focal point for the members of your family. Individual flowers can be dropped overboard while the boat drifts away from the ashes. You can also find a green floatable urn that is made from paper-mache. It will float for a few minutes and then sink. Someone should take a video or a series of pictures so don’t forget the camera. The spirit whisperer should send the departed soul on their way with a reading of something about the sea.

Wake

The wake can be as varied as the reason for the love of the sea. For the fisherman, a scheduled fishing charter and one last fishing trip. For the sailing enthusiast, a nice breeze and a sunset with all aboard. And for those who wish to stay on the beach, an evening clambake followed by guests relating their personal experiences with the sea. Bring along your favorite beverage for a toast to the celebration of a life lived well. Have your guests take some time and listen to the symphony of sounds from the sea so they will forever associate those sounds with your memory.

“Cast thy nets and hooks to claim the seas’ bountiful harvest as the ashes of my life shall drift forever upon the open sea. I pray God shall cast his net and catch my soul adding it to the bountiful harvest of Heaven.”

Memorial

Since you will not be able to place a memorial in the Sea, a map with the location of your ashes can be put in a frame. Of course, your ashes will not remain where they are scattered and your relatives cannot come back to visit you. All they have to do is get to the sea wherever it touches the coast for you will be spread where the sea is present. If you select one of the new electronic picture frames, take many digital pictures and make a slide show of the area. Online memorials with poems of the sea, a few pictures of fishing trips, or just posting great ocean vistas would be a fitting memorial to the one that has passed on to a better place.