APRIL 24, 2021

THE SPARK

It was difficult broaching the subject of funeral plans with my 80 year-old Dad. After all, he wasn’t sick or in dire need of medical attention. In fact, he had purchased plots for both my Mom and himself a long time ago, but I wanted to make sure I understood what he wanted. Had he even given it any thought? Had he considered  cremation? 

It is no secret that the Jewish religion does not embrace cremation, but I felt that it was still important to have the conversation.

We discussed the process, the pros and cons, and what to do with the ashes after. Dad was a doctor so he did not need a lot of help understanding the details. He asked me how I felt about cremation and, in that moment, I expressed my feelings on the subject for the first time. 

In retrospect, my perspective was shaped from a culmination of deeply personal topics–my Jewish upbringing, my spirituality about the Universe, my thoughts on death, and my thoughts about the soul.

Unbeknown to me at the time, this conversation sparked the embers that were to become The Ash Experiment.