Louise ... always great to read your thoughts. That may be the most powerful reason to write this type of writing. Having seen a bit of how you follow that north star, I would say you've served it well. hugs and happy holidays.
Years ago I had to write mine for a course I was taking. In my 40s it was hard but made easier by the instruction - “write how you’d like to be remembered and listening to others celebrate you at your funeral.”
I’ve since lost that Obit but not its desire to be a kind woman who does her best to create a world of love, joy and harmony where everyone knows they are valued, respected and wanted.
That obit has served as my North star and is integral to who I am today and what I strive to create in my world today. It was never about my ‘successes’ but rather about the kind of world I want to create and live in.
I remember at the time, feeling a bit self-centred and conceited writing it as if I was a guest at my own funeral, listening in to what others were saying. Now I recognize it as a blessing and a gift that has inspired me to keep growing and evolving throughout my life.
Thanks, Kate ... how fun to hear from you and I really like the "look back" process and terminology. She keeps me on my toes, too. I've never met someone who could say "It is I" without even thinking about it.
As said daughter referenced…. My mom is kind of a stickler for spelling and grammar accuracy and therefore would be wise to at least materially write her own obituary rather than wholly entrusting it to my rather subjective interpretation of grammatical rules. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Love u Mooma(she will
SO cringe at the “u”).
Wonderfully written, Joyce. Personally, life sketches/reflective obituaries are an important technique to help me reframe, prioritize, and gain perspective on my thinking about my life. Also, I sometimes write a “look-back” from the perspective of the end of the next year, to help me define what goals I’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year (I use this technique in business too). As in: “well that was a stellar 2025, I learned how to effectively use the correct “insurance” in written sentences”. Now let me Google how to do that…. 😉
I have always read obituaries because I learn so much about what one person can do in A lifetime. In fact in an article about me, the author mentioned that’s why I read the New York Times. I love the Idea of a Life Sketch. When my Aunt Mary died I was asked to officiate and we called her life “A Life Worth Living” and I hope we all can have that legacy in our “Life Sketch”✍️ 🙏❤️
;-) Interesting to think about the differences ... "bios" ... "life sketches" ... "journals" ... "obituaries" ... "memoirs" ... " so many words trying to describe a life ... and then all we get is a ###
I'm glad that someone had the foresight to invent writing. Happy holidays!
I was once asked to write my own obit. as part of a team building exercise for a new job.
I refused. I didn't trust the owner/manager. He was the type of person that would use the information against you. This exercise was his means of getting you to divulge personal info.
I quit shortly after.
Later, that year, he was arrested for fraud and embezzlement. Luckily, I was not involved.
Although completing this exercise can be interesting to those close to you, it's not something I recommend sharing with strangers.
I wrote a friends father’s obituary and it came out beautiful. I wrote about what he accomplished and how he helped others. If i find a copy I’ll send it to you. As a journalist and feature writer of people i used to ask them - “If i were writing your obituary what would i say about you.” Most people just looked at me as if i asked for their most recent tax return. But if i were going to write my obituary it would be funny and true. It is a great thought. Writing one’s own obituary. I will write mine and send it to you.
I’ll look for it now on my computer. There was a woman who wrote on the overnight shift at a paper and she wrote obits all the time. I’m trying to get the publisher of the magazine to do obits and they don’t want to. Many people read them.
Louise ... always great to read your thoughts. That may be the most powerful reason to write this type of writing. Having seen a bit of how you follow that north star, I would say you've served it well. hugs and happy holidays.
Years ago I had to write mine for a course I was taking. In my 40s it was hard but made easier by the instruction - “write how you’d like to be remembered and listening to others celebrate you at your funeral.”
I’ve since lost that Obit but not its desire to be a kind woman who does her best to create a world of love, joy and harmony where everyone knows they are valued, respected and wanted.
That obit has served as my North star and is integral to who I am today and what I strive to create in my world today. It was never about my ‘successes’ but rather about the kind of world I want to create and live in.
I remember at the time, feeling a bit self-centred and conceited writing it as if I was a guest at my own funeral, listening in to what others were saying. Now I recognize it as a blessing and a gift that has inspired me to keep growing and evolving throughout my life.
You don't see a lot of obituaries in the papers down here, I always like to read the death notices, however I have not read a paper in years
Thanks, Kate ... how fun to hear from you and I really like the "look back" process and terminology. She keeps me on my toes, too. I've never met someone who could say "It is I" without even thinking about it.
As said daughter referenced…. My mom is kind of a stickler for spelling and grammar accuracy and therefore would be wise to at least materially write her own obituary rather than wholly entrusting it to my rather subjective interpretation of grammatical rules. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Love u Mooma(she will
SO cringe at the “u”).
Wonderfully written, Joyce. Personally, life sketches/reflective obituaries are an important technique to help me reframe, prioritize, and gain perspective on my thinking about my life. Also, I sometimes write a “look-back” from the perspective of the end of the next year, to help me define what goals I’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year (I use this technique in business too). As in: “well that was a stellar 2025, I learned how to effectively use the correct “insurance” in written sentences”. Now let me Google how to do that…. 😉
I have always read obituaries because I learn so much about what one person can do in A lifetime. In fact in an article about me, the author mentioned that’s why I read the New York Times. I love the Idea of a Life Sketch. When my Aunt Mary died I was asked to officiate and we called her life “A Life Worth Living” and I hope we all can have that legacy in our “Life Sketch”✍️ 🙏❤️
Thanks, Barbara … I really like “A life worth living” and the freedom it gives each of us to decide what that means.
Oh dear. Well, I guess it'd kind of like writing those bios we're occasionally requested to do...but as in journalist speak, with ### at the end.
;-) Interesting to think about the differences ... "bios" ... "life sketches" ... "journals" ... "obituaries" ... "memoirs" ... " so many words trying to describe a life ... and then all we get is a ###
I'm glad that someone had the foresight to invent writing. Happy holidays!
Same to you, Joyce!!
I was once asked to write my own obit. as part of a team building exercise for a new job.
I refused. I didn't trust the owner/manager. He was the type of person that would use the information against you. This exercise was his means of getting you to divulge personal info.
I quit shortly after.
Later, that year, he was arrested for fraud and embezzlement. Luckily, I was not involved.
Although completing this exercise can be interesting to those close to you, it's not something I recommend sharing with strangers.
Thanks, Laura ... I hadn't thought about the personal security aspect.
I wrote a friends father’s obituary and it came out beautiful. I wrote about what he accomplished and how he helped others. If i find a copy I’ll send it to you. As a journalist and feature writer of people i used to ask them - “If i were writing your obituary what would i say about you.” Most people just looked at me as if i asked for their most recent tax return. But if i were going to write my obituary it would be funny and true. It is a great thought. Writing one’s own obituary. I will write mine and send it to you.
I have to look in my old computer files for the obit. I have it somewhere.
I’ll look for it now on my computer. There was a woman who wrote on the overnight shift at a paper and she wrote obits all the time. I’m trying to get the publisher of the magazine to do obits and they don’t want to. Many people read them.
Thank you, Diane ... and I'd love to see yours. Maybe there's an Obit Club a-forming. ;-)