When is part of me no longer me?

I once read a book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks). It was not something I would have chosen but the salesperson was cute, so I bought it. Having bought it, I read it before passing it on to my neice Melinda who was going into Pharmacy.

It brought to light some things I really hadn't considered a lot. I remember talking about one issue with my niece Ethel. She made me aware of the process that a body goes through after death unless the family intervenes. The draining of the life blood and mixing it with chemicals to make it a non-biohazard and then dumping that part of my body in the sewer, in particular.

I had told her that if she was ever involved (being the oldest) in making decisions on the disposal of my body when I die that I wanted it cremated immediately and then spread with my mother's ashes. That's when she explained that if you didn't say so, your life's blood had a different, less dignified journey. I was surprised and appalled.

I believe that once a Spirit moves on, you can do what you want with the remains according to the person or family's request and in a dignified manner. For many, I believe this is also an opportunity to show respect and grieve, however you need to.

I don't see the necessity of pumping the carcass with chemicals, preserving it, or spending vast amounts of money on the burial chamber, markers, or plots. That's just my way. I have lost enough people in my life to understand the need and desire for others to do so. I just look at the graves we constantly dig up from the far past and do not desire for that to be me in the far future. So burn me, grind up the bits, and toss me to the wind! Say a prayer and come back to that beautiful place in the woods to visit whenever you want, remember me, and enjoy the Creator's beauty with joy, happiness, and anything else that comes upon you.

So this book I read about HeLa cells made me aware that once a bit of me leaves me, it is no longer mine even if it is labeled as me. Did you know that? If blood or urine or saliva is taken from you, it can be used in many ways you probably didn't know about or even want. You might even be appalled by some of its uses.



So when I came across this (http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/08/ga-police-forcibly-removing-blood-without-legitimate-probable-cause/) article today about forcibly taking a person's life blood from someone, ANYONE, while they are still alive hit me in my Spiritual gut. Yup, right through the Sacred Heart. Perhaps it's my Catholic roots. Or the Lutheran ones. Or the Methodist ones. I may be a religious mutt but any way you cut it, it is MY blood and it is SACRED to me.

I feel like we are losing every freedom we have, one by one. There's always a law upholding the reason but that does NOT make it right! Some day soon, we are going to all begin to wonder where our freedoms went as they quietly chip away at them by justifying each time they do so. Even a criminal has rights. Their blood is my blood and it is the right of ANYONE to keep every single drop of it!