Jeanette Amlie

On participating in the green burial of her friend, John O’Donnell
Born: July 6, 1939
Died: November 1, 2013
Cremation ceremony: November 2, 2013

I was sharing with a friend this past week my befuddlement around the fact that we are required to learn a myriad of things in school that we never use again, but we don’t learn the most basic aspects of living . . . like how to prepare a body after death. To finally have that experience makes it feel like the most natural thing in the world.

It was such a blessing and a privilege to work with people in Crestone CO from hospice and the End of Life Project to support the transition of a friend. It healed so much of my own trauma around death to be a part of something so natural and organic. I felt as if my Soul remembered this from a long time ago and I feel very strongly that organizations like these that facilitate such beautiful and peaceful passings help not only the Soul who is leaving the body, but also all those blessed to be present for the sacred event.

It was also such a blessing to be part of the first green burial in the Crestone Cemetery…

Again I experienced a great healing to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of people who all recognized and honored the natural process of a Soul transitioning out of a body and who treated it as a “send off” celebration rather than a loss to be grieved. We were surrounded by nature and the process itself was so simple and able to honor the desires of our friend who simply wanted to let his body go back to the earth from whence it came.

This experience has changed my life and the way I now view “death”. I hope that more people and places around the country can open to this natural, peaceful and joyful way of honoring a life and what comes after it.

With Deep Gratitude,
~Jeanette Amlie