BUILD YOUR OWN COFFIN?

The New York Times  article by a doctor with a terminal illness caught my eye. He built his own coffin. It may seem morbid to some, but if you have a terminal illness or are old, death is one of the things you think about.

Building your own coffin adds a human touch to death that seems to be missing today. Death has become mechanical and hidden; just a process that you hire done and which is kept out of sight. I remember when my grandfather died in a small town in Nebraska. An open coffin, supported by two chairs in the dining room, was there overnight. Someone was always sitting next to it, including me at age 8. There were constant visitors, food and much talking.

Terminal illness and old age seem to drain one’s life of purpose; coffin building may add meaning and comfort. It will surely get people talking.

The problem is that people facing death, whether through old age or disease,  look at death differently. They come to accept that everyone dies; a concept unfamiliar to younger people. A purpose is important.

Coffin plans if you are interested.

Since writing this in November of 2017, I have discovered that there are “coffin clubs,” which began in New Zealand and have spread to the United States. You can read about them in the August 2019 issue of The Atlantic.

If you are still interested, Google “coffin clubs” +name of your state.

THINK OLD!