Just over two weeks ago, I was given five minutes to jot down what I would want published in my obituary. It is difficult to summarize someone's life in a handful of column inches, which is maybe why so many are limited to the usual details - place of birth, some information about the immediate family, a line or two about a career, hobbies, and then, the end. When I still lived at home with my parents, I routinely read the obituaries published in our rural newspaper. I looked forward to the "story" ones - the ones with tales of travel and heroic achievements. Once in a while, I learned that someone I knew had an adventure that was hidden in the past, something I selfishly wished would have been revealed to me first-hand. There was a time when I would have forecasted a fanciful obituary for myself, mixing elements of silliness and a ridiculous helping of ambition. I would have participated in the activity simply for amusement and filed it away.
But two weeks ago I did not spin any prognostic tales. The places I have yet to go are not going to keep a memory of me. The mundane milestones of everyday life will be plainly noted with checkmarks and then forgotten as the ultimate milestone approaches.
Instead, four items immediately came to mind:
- To have loved well
- To have been loved well
- To have lived a meaningful and intentional life
- To have never stopped learning
If it comes to bear that these few things are enough to summarize my life, well, I would find that pretty damn spectacular. So I'm going to see what I can do about that.
Until next week,
-Andrea
