I had the unfortunate pleasure(?) of attending the wake/funeral of one of my aunts last weekend. It proceeded as normally as those types of things go, though I don’t think the “expectability” or normality of a death in the family doesn’t subtracts from the emotional impact at all.

She had a very plain coffin. It was made from pine wood, unfinished, no ornamentation or fanciness. It had its appeal, and it sparked some rather morbid ideas about how I’d like my earthly body housed when I’m gone. The “plain wooden box” idea is nice, but I was thinking of designing myself something to go along with it, perhaps some sort of engraving or burnt wood piece with my favorite verse written on it. I’m no woodworker (see my father if you need something like that done), but as a designer I’m sure I will be able to translate whatever I do digitally into a concrete - uh, wooden - incarnation, however imperfect it would turn out. I just want a product done completely by my head and hand.

What about any of you reading this? How would you want to be remembered in a visual, corporeal sense, if at all?