I have a lot to say on this subject, Kristi, too much for a comment, so I guess you’ve inspired my next story! Thanks for that. One thing I will share is about my mother-in-law’s obsession with my father-in-law Jess’s ashes.

After he died, she came to live with us, she brought Jess along in a cardboard box. She didn’t buy an urn because the plan was to scatter his remains at sea.

In the meantime, she was to join my husband, son, and me on a vacation, but she was really stressed about leaving her husband’s remains in our house. She told me she was afraid of what would happen if thieves broke in. “Helen,” I said, “You don’t honestly think anyone would steal them, do you?” She thought a moment and said, “Well, they might desecrate them!”

I argued that this possibility was so remote, it wasn’t to be thought of. “Just hide the box if it makes you feel better,” I said. “It will be fine.”

Later on, as we got off the plane, she asked me to hold her purse. It was really heavy, so I asked her what she had in there. Her answer? You guessed it: “Jess.”