Joshua Tree Memorial Park

what can you say about a memorial park? some areas are well maintained. others, not so much. mother-​in-​law is in a niche with her parents nearby. they were great when I interred mom but the marker we ordered for her mother a few years after she was buried looks horribly cheap, thanks to the cement under the marker. quails & mourning doves abound. I doubt anyone walks the grounds regularly, as a busted plastic flowerpot was rolling around under a bench, plastic McDonald’s water bottle in the roadway & fireants are everywhere. an open lined grave nearby seemed unsafe & bugged me as it was obviously dug months ago… or longer.
hey lived here so they’re interred here… but I wish they’d care for the place in the simplest ways just a little more. I wish we lived closer (i flew in from Texas to San Diego & drove out). I’d work the grounds for free.

It is difficult to think about memorialization, but it’s helpful to all involved to have an idea of the available options. Until recently, I hadn’t known about green burials. A green burial is an all-​natural form of a ground burial. The body is not embalmed. When buried, the deceased is wrapped in cloth or placed in a biodegradable casket (e.g., bamboo). The idea is to return to the earth without creating waste. Even the plot is dug by hand.
At Joshua Tree Memorial Park, the staff was very kind and helpful. Arrangements were made quickly and without undue stress. The service took place outside, literally in the desert. Casual dress is encouraged since the ground is basically dirt and rocks. The landscape has joshua trees, shrubs, etc and is set against a large rock formation with a beautiful horizon. It looks nothing like a typical cemetery. I was disappointed with how close it is to the main road (the actual park grounds are much more breathtaking), but the resting ground is still a nice alternative to conventional arrangements.