By Terry Seitz.
Like many people, I didn’t want to dwell on thoughts of my demise, or even that of my husband who was battling a terminal disease. We had both stipulated cremation in our wills but hadn’t put any more planning into it. As Neil approached the end of his journey with dementia, I found out through a friend that CEOLP (Crestone End of Life Project) had extended their services beyond Crestone/Baca residents to include others of Saguache County. I knew immediately this would be the right choice for Neil. When his passing happened much sooner than we anticipated, the people at CEOLP went out of their way to make Neil’s cremation possible.
Neil’s ceremony was beautiful and unforgettable, powerful yet intimate, and his life was perfectly honored and acknowledged through it. I had little idea of what to expect, having never attended a ceremony at the Pyre before. I was completely overwhelmed by the efficiency, patience and loving sympathy extended to me and my family by the CEOLP volunteers throughout the process. All these caring people, giving of their personal time and energy to help people who are going through a difficult time. Through CEOLP’s work, I was able to gain a much healthier understanding and acceptance of death, removing the stigma, the scariness, the icky feelings.
After Neil’s passing, my sisters and I explained the services that CEOLP provides to our mom Hilda, who was 98 years old at the time. She did not hesitate to express her desire to have this for herself at her passing, so we got her registered with CEOLP.
She departed from us on her 100th birthday, after all the cards and presents were opened, after “Happy Birthday” had been sung to her numerous times, with loving family and friends surrounding her.
So, I attended a second cremation of a dear loved one at the Pyre. Again, it was a deeply moving experience. The coyotes began singing all around us as soon as we had lit the pyre, and later the smoke formed a cloud that hovered over us throughout, as if mom was blessing us with her peaceful presence.
As I am no longer focused on full-time caregiving, I am now involved with CEOLP as a volunteer, giving back my time and energy to my community, and especially to this invaluable organization, unique in the country, which has given so much to me.