In Fond Remembrance Of

I've written before that one of my favorite sections of the newspaper is the obituaries. Not only do I check to see if anyone I know or used to know is listed, but also the ages of those whose death notices appear, using my age--at present 68--as a guideline as to whether someone has "died young" or not.

I love the euphemisms for dying that are used: "went to be with the Lord"; "was ushed into the arms of her loving Creator"; began a new journey"; "joined his/her late somebody-or-other"; or simply "passed away". If it is a long (spelled "expensive") notice, it's more likely that the decedent did not just "die". The newspaper charges extra for someone's having done anything other than "died".

Years ago (but in my lifetime) a married woman's obituary wasn't even published under her own name. She was still Mrs. Husband's Name. Now obituaries include nicknames like "Pappaw" or "Tweetie Bird" or whatever. I can't imagined how some of those folks lived with some of their monikers.

I think I'd like to write my own obituary--to be used way, way off in the future, of course. What you would say about yourself?

Do you know what you'd like people to say about you as friends file past your casket? As for myself, I'd like to hear someone say, "Look! She's alive!"