Should I keep a cookie jar full of my friend's grandpa's ashes?

Question

My friend gave me a cookie jar full of his grandfather's ashes last weekend for my birthday. He thought it would be a nice gift for me since he was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and I am a journalist too.

I would like to keep the cookie jar, it's very nice. But I don't know what to do about the ashes. It is pretty creepy to keep them in our house, and I would like to put cookies in the jar. But, he does come to our house at least 4 times a week and I know he would be upset if I threw them away. And I think it would be very insulting to give them back to him.

Yeah. In case you can't tell, my friend is a bit ... well, shall we say odd?

Answer 1

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... you sir are my hero

Answer 2

That is soooo disgusting!!!  Tell your friend that you don't feel comfortable and give it back.  I hope u were kidding about actually putting food in something that held human remains. YUCK!

Answer 3

depend on what's your friend's believe or religion. but your friend's gift to me is rather joking acts. your friendship is very close but I think he is not close enough to you, inconsiderate of other people's believe (your believe is not keeping ashes of the dead at home while he is otherwise). if you can't tolerate further, then discuss it over with him, you can suggest it to be kept at the "proper ashes keeping place" where it can get proper prayers etc, and one last thing be sportive by not thinking of keeping the jar for you  

Answer 4

that is very weird...dump the ashes and don't tell him...but don't put cookies in it, that would be kinda gross event after you scrub it

Answer 5

well maybe you should buy a cookie jar just like it and put your cookies in there. & why wud u want to put cookies in a jar where a dead mans ashes were. that means your pretty weird too. but uhm maybe you should hide the jar and tell your friend you put it in a safe place or a better place that it can go.

Answer 6

You could always fashion a little shrine in your backyard or outside somewhere that stands out as a place of significance and put the ashes in a different container with a funnel if you still really want to use a cookiejar-urn for cookies?

Answer 7

I would just try to buy another cookie jar thhat looks the same and put that one up....even if you would throw them away, would you really want to put cookies in it?

Answer 8

I wouldn't put cookies in the jar after ashes have been in there that would be even more creepy. ask your friend if he wants you to keep the ashes or if he wants them back, then insist on him/her taking them back because he should have something to remember his grandpa by. if he/she wants you to keep them, empty the ashes and use the jar, just tell him/her that you moved the ashes to a diferent place so you could use the jar.

Answer 9

You should so keep them.  It's totally relevant to your life.  Might be an inspiration someday.  Whatever you do, do NOT throw out the ashes though.

Answer 10

Why did you burn your friend's grandpa?

Answer 11

simple. tell your friend that you belive in realeassing the ashes. so go on a nice hike or to the beach or somthing, say some nice words and let the ashes fly away.... then you keep the cookie jar.

Answer 12

Make a batch of cookies with the ashes, add sugar a few nuts, bake. Gat a new cookie jar, put Pulitzer Prize cookies in & Give them back to your friend for his birthday. Cookie monster would be proud of you!!

Answer 13

Wow.  I think the two of you are actually very similar.  If you need to use the jar for cookies that badly, funnel the ashes into a different container, perhaps a more decorative one.  Maybe if you eat the cookies, some of his talent will seep into you.

Answer 14

wait you wanna keep the jar but dump you friends grandfathers ashes? how disrespectful can you be?  

Answer 15

wow....thats very..erm...awkward. id egt pertty freeked out if someone did that to me! just talk to your friend saying that you think that you should scatter them somewhere as its not your responsibility and you think that his gramps would want to you to have them because you arnt close enough and he woudld rather have them 1) on land where he loved or 2) with his family.

its not insulting to give them back to him if you do it nicely just talk and tell him! and if he comes to your house 4 times a week then he misses his gramps otherwise he wouldnt come round so giving them back to him might be good for the both of you

good luck!

Answer 16

you can do something nice with the ashes, like sprinkle them in your garden or buy a fancy smancy pen and mix his ashes into the ink for taking notes. id ask for his approval though.

Answer 17

Weirdest gift I've ever heard of, but sounds like he was trying to be sweet...or it could be a joke.  Either way, I think you should tell him that you feel that the ashes belong with his family and that you find it inappropriate for you to keep them.  You should NOT throw away the ashes no matter what.  The cookie jar should also go back to his family.  Possibly he stole it from his mom/dad to give to you?  If he's super odd, he may have done that and the ashes must go back to his parents.  Even if you hurt his feelings, it's not right for you to be in this situation with his grandpa's ashes....don't worry about his feelings.

Answer 18

best thing is to ask  where he like to  be layed down  i don't get why theu put his ash in a cookie jar i wondering where the urn they came in did he sell it best thing is to  ask the family  they may not  know he gave the grand father ash away and may be upset over it