My 94-year-old parents had things to tell me this week. [View all]

I flew out to California to visit them - maybe for the last time. One of the things we talked about was planning for what to do when they die. Here's what my father said about that:

"No cremation! We don't want to be burned up. No fancy coffins! Use the money for something useful. Bury us in the cemetery plots we own (he handed me ownership papers for the sites). No funerals! Just family at the burial. You can have a get-together later if you want. We won't be there. No preachers! We don't want someone we don't know speaking and saying prayers over us. We don't believe in that nonsense. We're not worried about dying. We've lived too long already. Your mother can't remember her last sentence, and it takes me 15 minutes to walk 50 yards. We're ready to be gone."

My father also handed me their healthcare directives. No prolongation of their lives through advanced medical treatments. Both have DNR orders on file with their doctor. No 911 calls. They don't want to die with tubes in all their orifices. He was very clear about that.

So, that's exactly what I'll do. I will honor their wishes, to the letter.

My parents probably wouldn't call themselves atheists. They'd just say they don't have any religious beliefs at all. I'm fine with that. I'm an atheist. My sister and her husband are nominal Christians, but haven't been to a church service for decades. My late younger brother, never went to church as an adult, although his two children attend church services.

My parents have always been sensible, honorable, honest, truthful, helpful people. As far as I know, they've never harmed anyone or even said a bad word about anyone. They have followed their own common sense and let others do the same. No religion needed nor wanted. If you knew them, you'd like them right away. It's sad to see them so run-down and feeble. But, we still told stories about times past, like always. But, they're tired of everything now.

Religion is unnecessary. Living rationally works just fine, as does dying rationally.