Have you scattered ashes before? It’s harder than you think

But out here in the shallows, I was unsure of which technique this very specific situation called for.

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A straight-up dump felt rushed and not befitting of the ceremony, yet doing it by hand seemed strange and possibly unsanitary. For a minute, I toyed with a slow and solemn shake, the way you might dust a cake, but ended up settling on a measured release as if emptying a can of soup into a bowl.

Based on the applause from the beach, this seemed to do the trick, and now, feeling…