My grandfathers story

I grew up as the son/grandson of a Mennonite farmer. My paternal grandfather had taught me the importance of reusing and recycling before these terms were made popular. When we had a building project he would pull rusty nails from old boards. It would be unthinkable to purchase something that could be created with your own hands.

I have integrated these principles. When I began my job at the hospital and heard of the amount of money people were spending on caskets I was overwhelmed. I thought that maybe it was because the deceased had requested such lavish expressions. Then I started to talk with people who knew they were dying. The most common response I heard from those people was that they wanted to keep things simple and avoid spending a lot of money. The problem I found is most people do not communicate this information to their family. If they do make such a request the traditional death care industry makes it diffucult for families who try to save money. Many families who try to cut costs end up skipping the rituals of grief (the viewing of the body, and the gathering of people). I am hearing more and more that there will be no service as requested by deceased. What is a person to do with their unresolved grief?

I realized that the casket was one of the main purchases where families could save money without interupting the grieving process. I created a small business  to provide people with more affordable choices. I then found through experience that not only can a person save on costs but if they take an active role in putting the box together or decorating the box the grieving process can be enhanced. I discuss this concept more in the section on participatory grief.