Aw, thanks for posting Sandy! I appreciate and understand what you are saying, and I am of similar belief!
Likewise, though, I completely appreciate what Chau is saying and can understand how some perspectives (regional, religious, etc.) of different sects of our world society may not find this appealing or appropriate, so please don't take what I said as defensive or disrespectful, Chau. As I said, to each their own...
Further, for those of you who are not necessarily here in the States or are familiar with "Federal Laws and Guidlines" concerning the distribution and handling Cremains, please know that it is very important that proper "casting to the wind" (so to speak) parameters be followed so that you are not violating any federal laws depending on where you may choose to disburse the ashes of a loved one.
For one example, when my FIL who was a Merchant Marine passed away several years ago, he had asked that I, as Executor of his Estate, be sure his ashes where "buried at sea". Interestingly, this was a complicated task! It took the assistance of the Neptune Society, who worked on my behalf and were required to obtain a permit to scatter the ashes in the Pacific Ocean, and we had to charter a boat who was Federally certified and obliged to take the ashes to a Federally designated location in the ocean in order to complete this task. It was a sweet sentimental ceremony, and I was relieved that I had followed through and done it "the right way" as he'd wanted. But had I been "caught" without proper preparations either dumping the ashes at sea or scattering them on the beach somewhere, I could have been subjected to some hefty fines, at the very least!
http://www.epa.gov/Region4/water/oceans/burial.htm
On the flip side, a few years back there was an article in the Los Angeles Times regarding the dumping of Cremains at various locations in Disneyland
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal...E2%80%99s-999/ and
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov...s/fi-disney14/. Given that Disneyland officials can't properly leave the Cremains where they've been dumped on the grounds - irregardless of the intentions of "dumpers" to fulfill the wishes of the recently departed - it would appear that ending up in a vacuum and thereafter, who knows where, is a far worse "earthbound" fate than being embedded into a bead which is lovingly created and held close to the heart by those who loved and cherished the deceased.
Just my two cents...
De