Trees Over Graves

Hello there,
Just here to state why I believe planting trees in memorial of someone’s death, is a much more beneficial and sustainable alternative for installing gravestones.

First, we would be introducing new life into this world, symbolizing rebirth. Once we die, our bodies deteriorate and decompose into the earth. Our remains then become apart of something bigger than us – the circle of life. Our newly planted tree would be a representation of new life, and remembering that at the end of the day we are all one in this intricate cycle.

Second, humanity struggles with the simplicity of falling into negative habits. It becomes surprisingly easy and natural to lean towards the pessimistic view of life on certain occasions. Death is one of those occasions. It’s already morbid as it is, and we decide to plant a lifeless stone into the ground and write a short blurb about someones meaningful life? That’s almost disrespectful. If I die and there’s not something that’s brought to life in celebration of me, IMMA BE UPSET.

There’s nothing exciting about cemeteries and there probably never will be. But, imagine entering a cemetery that was tranquil and filled with nature. Visualize visiting a tree that’s colorful, blowing peacefully in the wind, with a carving in memory of your loved one in it. This would be a much more pleasant environment to feel a special connection with that person’s soul.

Third, this would be beneficial for the environment. I’m not sure how many cemeteries there are in the world, but I imagine it’s a massive number. Imagine if even one-third of those cemeteries replaced their stones with trees (preferably that are native to that climate). This would replenish nature; giving many animals and insects a home, and provided food and resources. And the best part is, trees produce oxygen, which we need to breathe. THIS IS A GENUIS IDEA PEOPLE, I’M JUST SAYING.

Fourth, death is a business. Our society literally made a business out of someone dying. On top of us mourning our loved ones, we also have to take on a financial burden of the price tags that were put on the event of someone exiting this lifetime. That’s the most morbid part of death in my opinion. It’s disgusting. Families should not have to worry about having to come up with thousands of dollars just to have a funeral, get a headstone, and have a proper burial. That’s ridiculous. If we switched to planting trees over plotting gravestones, a lot of money would be saved. Even if you get a cheap headstone, you’re still looking at, at least a grand. I went through the process of putting a gravestone on my dads plot, getting the cheapest deal I could find, and I STILL ended up paying a grand. I’m blessed I had the means to do so, but not everyone does, nor should anyone have to worry about that to begin with. It’s uncharitable and unethical. Planting trees does not cost a grand. The upkeep of a tree does not cost a grand. Cemeteries already keep up with their grounds, this would not add any crazy additional tasks to their workers. Actually, this would be way less work for the cemetery, and extremely convenient for all parties involved. AND, if the trees that are planted are native to that climate, it wouldn’t add extra money to the water bills because they can live off of that environments natural resources… like they should 🙂 🙂 🙂

THIS IS A WIN WIN SOLUTION. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
I hope to see something like this implemented into the way we celebrate our loved ones life.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
Xoxo, Mal.