My Interesting Topic
I’ve spoken at two writing events about Obituaries. I met up with some of the attendees beforehand who asked me what I was going to speak about. I’d laugh and say “I bet you are dying to find out what my topic is – you’ll have to wait!”
How many of us have had a family member pass away, and the family has a stressful time getting the right information. It’s hard to prepare for the Eulogy or perhaps the Obituary, when everyone is grieving. (Though in Australia Obituaries are few and far between. )
Prepare – Write it before the death
My goal is to encourage people to write the Advanced Obituary of their family members or friends, as well as write their own Advanced Obituary. An Advanced Obituary is one that is written while the person is alive. It is something newspapers do – for significant or famous people. Most major newspapers would have many files of key people and it is the Obituary Editor’s task to keep them up to date. So when the person dies, it is just a matter of completing the final paragraph. Finishing with when and how they died, and what family members are left behind.
I have prepared mine and I do update it.
Photo by Anton Darius – Unsplash.com
These days more people are opting for a cremation rather than a burial – for often the cost of the burial, and the upkeep of the graveside is high. Without a burial and gravestone, there is no evidence of the person, so an obituary which is submitted to one of the places that keeps them forever is helpful.
One place is Heaven Address
Check it out.
I also like to make my talk more fun, so often talk about funny obituaries too. Makes it all less serious.
