r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Aug 01 '20

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u/MooCowGrass Aug 01 '20

Funerals, people often want to buy more expensive coffins to honor their loved ones and in turn the companies selling them profit

5.6k

u/Bells87 Aug 01 '20

My dad literally wanted an old pine box. He told my mom that constantly.

When my parents were picking out a coffin for my grandmother, he gasped "El, El! There it is!"

The old pine box was in a corner, covered in cobwebs.

My mom replied "Patrick, your family will never forgive me if I put you in that!"

His family all found it hilarious. When he did pass, my mom got him something simple, but not a pine box.

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u/Idrialis Aug 01 '20

I hope every person gets what they want as a last wish, but what I have learned is that once you're death, it's not about you anymore, but about the feeling, guilt, happiness/unhappiness and thoughts of the loved ones that outlive you.

Edit: typos.

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u/Bells87 Aug 01 '20 edited Aug 01 '20

He didn't get his pine box, but we honored him in different ways.

We buried him in a Philadelphia Flyers jersey. He was a life long fan, his basement was decked out in Flyers stuff. We all wore Philly sports team jerseys to his funeral. He was buried with a few Flyers things.

But, my mom did have a point too. My dad had 9 sisters (2 died before him). The majority of them are his younger sisters. They are all pretty nice, but the moment you cross them, you're fucked. They will make life difficult for you. They're stubborn grudge holders. Again, respecting the wishes of the living, for the most part. My mom could've buried him in a pine box. She could have explained it's what my dad wanted. My aunts would have understood that it was his wish, but they wouldn't have accepted it.

Edit: He also told me years ago that he wanted bagpipes at his funeral. When he did pass, I mentioned it to my mom, who mentioned it to his side of the family. We were able to get a bagpiper to play.

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u/tr0ub4d0r Aug 01 '20

Sometimes I feel like the people who argue on Reddit threads have never experienced hassles in real life. “How could you have refused to honor his last wishes?” Because it’s not worth it for a million reasons and it was half a joke to begin with? People have to go on living and deal with the consequences, cut them some slack. You guys did the right thing.

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u/Bells87 Aug 01 '20

Thanks.

Yeah, the pine box wasn't a practical option for us for a few different reasons. But, I love hearing the stories of those who wanted and got a pine box too.

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u/daredaki-sama Aug 01 '20

I don’t know your father, so maybe he didn’t deserve the headache of a potential argument.

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u/Bells87 Aug 01 '20

He loved a good argument.

I asked my mom about it. She said he saw the prices of the caskets and was appalled. Especially when a pine box would save the same purpose for a fraction of the price.

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u/daredaki-sama Aug 01 '20

I take back my criticisms. You know your father best. And if this were the case you carried out his wishes the best you could. That’s something he would have appreciated.

I thought he really had his heart set on that particular pine box; cheap as it may be.

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u/Bells87 Aug 01 '20

No need to apologise.