A woman honoured her sister’s final wish by having her water cremated – before turning her bones into a wind chime.
Erin Merelli, 43, a death educator and doula carried out the unique tribute after a heartfelt conversation before her sibling passed away.
Her sister, who was “very artistic and free spirited”, had previously made her own wind chime out of deer bones she found while hiking – painting them light blue.
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Weeks later, while doing Erin’s hair, she made an unexpected request.
“That’s what I want when I die. Take my bones, and make me into a blue windchime,” Erin’s sister explained to her.
After her passing, Erin followed through with the unique plan using water cremation – also known as alkaline hydrolysis.
The process replaces fire with water to gently break the body down, leaving behind bones and a nutrient-rich liquid.
Erin, who is based in Denver, Colorado, explained: “The process itself, which replaces the element of fire with the element of water to gently break the body down.”
She added: “The skin and soft tissues and organs mix with the water and result in a nutrient rich ‘liquid gold’ affluent, if you will.”
The liquid can be used to nourish plants and restore land, while the remaining bones are processed into a fine powder.
Erin said: “It looks and feels like powdered sugar. It can be mixed into many materials, from tattoo ink – to pottery.”
Wanting to bring her sister’s vision to life, Erin enlisted artist Kelly Gilleran, who carefully crafted the wind chime.
The artist painstakingly created a skeleton design, shaping each piece by hand and painting it a pale blue inspired by her sister’s eyes.
Seeing the finished piece for the first time was an emotional moment.
Erin said: “I felt grateful, and even a little nervous, seeing it for the first time.”
She added: “I felt like although my sister is gone, I got to have her back in a small way in that moment.”
Now, the wind chime serves as a lasting reminder – and a symbol of a deeply personal farewell.
Erin hopes the story will encourage others to think differently about how they honour loved ones.
She said: “I want people to know that there is more creative freedom than they might think when it comes to how we honor our loved ones.”
She added: “We do not have to bury them six feet down or cremate them by fire.”
According to Erin, more personalised memorials can help people process grief in a healthier way.
She said: “We pass grief down, unless we find ways to express it.”
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