Writing your own obituary can actually bring you peace of mind! If you have a draft of important dates and events of your life, it helps those left behind to lessen the work of figuring out significant details that are important to the overview of your life.
My dad wrote his obituary many years before his death. I then had a framework to polish and add more details for a finished version. It helped me so much that he started it!
Here are some basics to consider:
- Announce name, age, and date of death and place of death (city and state)-create placeholder to fill in later.
- Optional: descriptive terms such as mother/father, etc.
- Biographical information:
Birth date, location of upbringing, education, marriage and children, work history, accomplishments. - Personal information:
Capture the spirit of yourself or characteristics. What are you passionate about?
Special hobbies or involvement in organizations. - List of family members:
Proceeded in death by
Survived by - Funeral or Celebration of Life information: In lieu of flowers, donate to such and such organization or charity/foundation, etc.
Good examples:
My obituary is drafted and I am in good health! Consider this task as a gift to your family and an interesting exercise in looking at your life.
Between tasks posted on this blog, be sure to read Lighter Living if you have not already.
