Body becomes Earth
Journal March 20, 2026
The following is an except from a journal entry written last month, after my god aunt passed.
This morning at 4 am I sat in my Mom’s bed as we watched my god-Auntie’s body be lowered into the ground, via zoom call.
Her final wish was to be buried in the land she called home. her wish before that was to be able to visit home one more time, but her body rejected that one.
I’ve never been to a Jewish funeral. Though we sat shiva for my grandfather when he passed—he, being agnostic decided to have his body incinerated into ashes, not wanting to take up any more space than it needed to. When my Aunt passed last summer, her decision was the same.
From a young age, I’ve been at times minutely and at time more extremely afraid of death. It used to be the fear of ceasing to exist, but then over time it became the somatic fear of the transition itself. How will it feel to take my last breath? In Ifa, we are told to pray for a good death, as much as we pray for a good life.
