*Local obituary of an older woman records her involvement with the senior citizen's program along with names of her survivors only. Did this woman do nothing in her earlier years? Was the writer of her obit familiar with her latter years only?
Shouldn't obituaries, even with cost restraints regarding length, include something about the person's life? Was she a member of the Ruth Bible Class? Did her recipe for duck a la banana die with her? Was she a reader or knitter or great with little children?
*What's all this with "special friends"? If the deceased lived with Denise for 15 years, wouldn't "companion" be more exact? A recent local obit listed the young man's girlfriend as "Tiffany" with no surname. In years to come, will survivors wonder which Tiffany?
Obits are supposed to be a final historical record of the person's life. Where was she born? Where did she die? Who preceded her in death? Who were her people? What did she do? etc. etc. The local paper will not say how the person died. I respect the privacy of those who died while cleaning gutters standing on a paint can holding a live electrical wire and eating a Hot Pocket microwaved pepperoni "sandwich" at midnight in the rain but a tad of information may be helpful to survivors.
Write your own obituary and keep it updated (like served the Riverside Church as Pastor) so survivors will know what you want included.
Tom Long has a good audio lecture at the Calvin Institute of Worship about re-thinking Christian funerals. He mentioned some of these things at the Fest o' Homies this summer.
Just saying,
St. Casserole
5 comments:
You are a very wise person. I hope you put that in when you write yours.
"I respect the privacy of those who died while cleaning gutters standing on a paint can holding a live electrical wire and eating a Hot Pocket microwaved pepperoni "sandwich" at midnight in the rain"
Stop! You're killin' me!
I laughed so hard, so loudly, that the dog thought I was being attacked...and he has a weak heart. Don't you love little doggies anymore?
heeheeheehee...still chuckling...
Laughin' over here with Cheesehead. Fortunately my cats here are used to such sounds.
Ours here just say, "died or "passed away" and do not go into details usually.
Then we have the few, but ever proud who go into other "details."
"flew home to be with her heavenly father", "entered into his eternal resting place" "left her home on earth for her mansion in the sky"---I beleive the lady's name was Delta Dawn!
The list and the beat goes on!!!!
La-de-da-dee-di
Oh and from today's...
"joined her Heavenly Father"
he-he...Didn't know he was coming apart!
We also have occasional info about the state of one's salvation.
My fav being "He found Jesus while attending reival at Mt Sinai.
Okay, did nto know Jesus was lost, and do you relaly think Jesus was hanging out at Sinai?
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