Items That You May Wish To Place In The Casket Before Cremation

When you're handling the post-death arrangements for a recently deceased loved one, cremation may be on the agenda. If the person requested cremation before passing away, there are several details that you and your family will need to discuss. One such topic is what you'll place in the casket with your loved one's body before it is sent to be cremated. Some people like to have the person dressed in a certain outfit that carries some meaning. For others, placing flowers in the casket is a way to "send off" their loved one with respect and dignity. While you'll generally want to ensure that high-value items such as jewelry are removed, here are some items that you may wish to have cremated with your family member.

Handwritten Quotes

Quotes can often be valuable for telling the story of a situation or a relationship, and if you can think of one or more quotes that summarize your relationship with the deceased, represent a lesson that he or she taught you, or epitomize how you will live your life because of the person's impact, you may wish to write out such a quote and place it in the casket before it is cremated. You can do everything from write the quote in calligraphy on fancy paper to simply jot it down on a small greeting card — the most important thing is the message itself.

Personal Letters

While you could go through your family member's collection of mementos and take letters and other similar documents to put in the casket before cremation, you may get more value out of keeping these things in the family and cherishing them in the years ahead. A different idea is to have each family member write a letter to the deceased and place it inside the casket. A copy of the eulogy can also be included in this manner.

Items Of Comfort

Sometimes, you may find solace in selecting a few small items that brought your loved one comfort during his or her life, and enclosing them in the casket. These items could be a favorite knitted blanket or even a cherished scarf. It can feel comforting to know that your loved one is taking his or her final journey with such an important item present. Of course, you should give thought to whether you might wish to keep such an item, too. If you'd rather keep the item, perhaps finding a secondary item and enclosing it instead can be worthwhile. For example, you could keep your parent's favorite scarf but enclose another cherished item in the casket.

Contact a business like Holmes Funeral Home to learn more.