Dead bodies aren’t gross
Why we should be moving away from a death-avoidant culture
Okay, so the stuff that happens to dead bodies is indeed gross. I suppose my statement could be a bit misleading. At death, the body essentially releases an army of bacteria throughout the entire organism, and this bacteria eats its way through tissues and organs. Liver mortis, rigor mortis, skin-slip, decomposition, and the whole pee and poop thing — all pretty gross. What isn’t gross, however, is mourning over a dead body.
The gross stuff that happens to a body doesn’t happen immediately (except the pee and poop thing, which is pretty immediate…). It takes hours, even days for the decomposition process to become noticeable. If you keep the body cool, it prolongs this even more. If you have them embalmed, these processes essentially stall. Though, embalming isn’t necessary to spend time with a deceased person.
Gathering around our dead as a final goodbye is an important part of the grieving process. There isn’t some magical window of time with grief. The concept of “closure” doesn’t apply here. Everyone manages their grief in complex and unique ways, and it isn’t linear. Though, I do believe that there are things we can do to help move us through our grief in a healthier way, and one of these ways is by viewing the body. We should take this time with our loved one if it is possible, as much…
