Abril’s Reviews > From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death > Status Update

“All that surrounds us comes from death, every part of every city, and every part of every person.”

"In my practice as a mortician I've found that both cleaning the body and spending time with it serves a powerful role in processing grief. It helps mourners see the corpse not as a cursed object, but as a beautiful vessel that once held their loved one."

“humans are so focused on preventing aging and decay— it’s become an obsession. And for those who have been socialized female, the pressure is relentless. So decomposition becomes a radical act. It’s a way to say ‘I love and accept myself.’”

The chapter on Mexico made me very emotional and proud to be Mexican. Here are my favorite quotes:

Mexico itself is viewed as a world leader in practicing engaged, public grief.

This is not to say Mexicans have never feared death. Their relationship with death was hard-won; it emerged after centuries of brutality.

Disinterring the dead every three years sounds scary and off putting until you put it in the context of your loved ones. I would love to see my grandpa in person again, even if he looks a little different now.