Why returning Casey Chew's remains back to mother earth is a good thing

I have been staring at Casey Chew's remains for some time. She sat in a brocade box on my altar where I began most morning chanting. It has been 2 months since her transition. I have been resistant with anything that anything to do with it. In my email inbox sat the digital photo proofs from her farewell party, amazing photos from Bark Photography that made my hearts sing every time I peek at them. All I had to do was pick out my favorites to be retouched. And yet, I couldn't pick them out.

Some says timing is everything. It's been a a few weeks since our newest family member Shanti made her way into our hearts via Santa Monica Shelter. We did not plan her arrival. I saw her and fell in love. There were 3 other families ahead of us on the waiting list. Yet that morning, no one else showed up. This was about the same time I shipped off the first order from our 28 days of Grief and Healing via Amazon.com, a project dedicated to my first dog Sophie thinking and thinking about Casey as I headed off to UPS.

This was also about the same time I planted the first of our fall veggies in the organic garden out front where Casey liked to play. It is also now where Shanti likes to play and explore.


Timing is everything. During the animal communicator's reading I had right before her transition, Casey shared that she was ready to transition, knowing Michael was there to support me gave her comfort. A few weeks later, Michael and I decided to get married and eloped. How could she have known?

So yesterday, with Shanti at my feet, it felt fitting to return Casey back to Mother Earth. And to complete a cycle of completion

Why the veggie garden you ask?

-Casey ate home cooked meals, with veggies from the garden she loved
-She loved to play and sunbathe in the front yard
-She loved the smell of rosemary and lavender (hence the choice of a lavender bush for her)
-It is where she spent her last day, in the front garden surrounded by her closest friends and family
-It is where I have many fond memories of us together, none of them involves being boxed up.

Thanks to the amazing friends at Let your love grow, I returned Casey to mother earth yesterday, in the garden, commemorating one of her favorite spots to sniff with a lavender bush.

Our lovely organic garden

Casey's remains and Let your love grow planting medium.

Mix remains with plan medium (1 cup cremains, with medium plant container. Mix)

You can line the container with a liner or mix medium right into the ground.
I decided to put her back into mother earth, straight up.

Then, simply add plant and water with lots of love.
This was a loving way for me to memorialize Casey, in completing the cycle of life and death, and also to know that her spirit and soul will continue to grow and be with us!


If this was interesting for you, please sign up on Clairechew.com to receive more timely information relating to grief and loss. Or leave a comment about what you have done with your pet's cremains. Lots of love and light until next time. Btw- I also finished editing the photos from Casey's farewell party---just in time for the Healing from Pet Loss through Art Workshop I will be holding October 9th, 2011. An afternoon of sharing, scrapbooking pages for Casey's album. I hope to see you there!