When I retired as a humanist celebrant I thought I'd stop writing this blog, but my fascination with all things death-related prompted more posts. They're just written from a slightly different perspective, that's all. Oh, and I still do the odd one, by special request.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Framed for posterity

Fancy a bit of Granny's bum on your wall?
There are all sorts of ways to preserve bits of your dear departed; turning their ashes into paperweights or incorporating them into a 3D artwork, for example.

I've toyed with the idea of having a zip tattooed on my mastectomy scar, after seeing some rather elaborate flowery ones, but it seemed a bit of a waste when no one else was likely to see it and appreciate the joke. I've met a man who was covered with tattoos, including his scalp, and wondered what he'd look like when he got old and saggy. Like soggy wrinkled wrapping paper, probably.

If you have spent a fortune on tattoos and don't like the idea of all that creative effort going up in smoke at the crematorium, you can have the best bits preserved for your next of kin, to remind them of when they were soft and warm to the touch. The Foundation of the Art and Science of Tattooing offer this service, so that your tattoos won't just last a lifetime; they'll last much longer.