A mortician has spoken out about his own end-of-life arrangements, including one thing he won’t do.
Autopsy assistant Gerald Wayne, who boasts 2.2 million followers on TikTok, regularly fields questions about post-mortem human body processes and autopsies.
However, he was recently asked a more personal question – whether he’d prefer to be buried or cremated when his time comes. His response has not only shifted some people’s viewpoints but also prompted others to discuss their final wishes with their families.
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Responding to the query, he stated: “I want to be cremated. I don’t have time now in my busy life to visit my grandparents or aunts or uncles who have passed. Thinking of me in the future, I don’t want to be selfish and ask my kids to come visit me in their busy lives.”
He added that he would rather his loved ones remember him at any time and place instead of visiting a specific graveyard. He added: “I don’t want them to take time out of their busy lives to visit me at a gravesite. I’m not really there, it’s just a shell. I’m gone so just cremate me and set me on the shelf, talk to me, wave to me when you walk by.”
One user concurred with the post, saying: “Same! And if they ever wanted to move states I wouldn’t want them to feel guilt about leaving me behind. I’m going with.”
Another chimed in: “I’ve always been scared to pass and always thought of how could someone just be cremated. After seeing how my mother-in-law’s grave has been treated I’ve changed.”
A third remarked: “I’ve never thought of it this way. love this perspective! ” An additional comment read: “My mum and I split my grandma’s ashes. I spray her perfume around her and play her favourite Elvis music all the time for her.”
Another shared: “I wear some of my mum’s ashes in a locket. Each of my siblings has small memorial urns, the rest will be scattered when I’m ready to let her go.”
In a separate clip, Gerald sounded an alarm as he discussed the “most common and least common” causes of death he sees in his line of work, urging people to take care of their health. He advised: “The most common cause of death is heart disease. So, I’m going to need you all to quit smoking, eat a better diet, and exercise three times a week – let’s get that heart in shape,” he declared.