Tuesday, August 28, 2018

On Reading the Obits




  I’ve picked up an interesting habit lately. I’ve been reading the obits in the newspaper because I’ve had periods of time when I spend empty hours “on watch,” so to speak, and the newspaper helps to pass time. In my obituary scanning, I have come to find some very compelling people on their pages, people who have lived vigorous lives, some in military service, some as corporate leaders, some in significant care of families. One piece involved a lady who never married, never had children of her own, but apparently spent a lifetime being a support person for siblings and their numerous children. Their protestations of love for her made obvious how much meaning her life held for them.

They took up heart space...

What this little sojourn among the obits has done for me is to remind me that our lives really hold importance for others, and we dismiss this to our peril. Many of the smiling photos surrounded lives that may have gone unheralded but were very eventful indeed. They mattered; they took up heart space in others, and, so by the way, do we.

We all count...

Perhaps on days when we are down and nothing seems to be working, we might take some time to remember that we are always more than what we do, and that it is who we are that really is important. A little trip through the obits can clear away a few blind spots and help us remember that we all count in some peoples’ lives…maybe more than we think.


http://More Essays About Everything is now available on Amazon

You may also enjoy "On Change." 



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