8 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Own Obituary

An obituary written by oneself may seem to most people a strangely morbid concept, one best left to the over-organized people or to individuals with a particularly bleak view on life. Fact of the matter is that this can be a very uplifting and revealing exercise if seen from a different perspective. 

You control what is said about you after you die, take a walk through your life's accomplishments, and make sure that your values and desires are crisp and well enunciated. Here are the reasons why you should consider writing your obituary.

Your obituary is one of the first and often only ways people will ever know you when you die. When you write your own obituary, it means the story of your life is told correctly and in the way you would like to have been remembered. You can really write in your achievements, who you adored the most, what you're passionate about in life, what you stand for, and how you would like to see yourself.

This power over the narrative of your life may be reassuring and liberating.

The act of writing one's own obituary could provide a deep reflection about the journey of life, the things achieved, and the involvement in relationships. It might provide a feeling of closure and satisfaction, knowing you have left your mark on people and the world.

It provides relief and lets one reconcile with unresolved issues or unfulfilled desires while some time is still left for doing it.

An obituary is sometimes a great way to clearly state one's last wishes and instructions. You could even include information about memorial services, locations of where to donate if there are certain causes that are close to your heart, or special wishes about how you would like to be remembered.

This spares your loved ones the related difficult task of guessing what you would have wanted at this very hard time in their lives. You offer explicit directions so that your end-of-life arrangements are done with the things that meant something to you.

Family dynamics are never straightforward, and disagreement among loved ones over how a family member should be remembered is not an atypical situation. In this sense, your decision to write your own obituary will prevent such a situation, reducing the chance that any disagreements arise, which will help to let your wishes be accurately expressed.

This would be one big positive move in not letting misunderstanding and bickering take place among your people when they should be in grief and not fighting over your legacy but just celebrating your life.

The obituary is such an important gift to give your family and friends. This is an opportunity for all those people who surround you, during your lifetime, to let everyone know how they remember and celebrate you as a person.

In this case, one gets to ensure that all the personal stories, successes, and thoughts come out as authentic. This act makes it a really significant and everlasting credo that would be cherished by the family and friends present in one's life.

Writing one's own obituary may also be an effective stimulus for open conversations concerning personal values towards the end of life. It can be a nice conversation starter when talking with family and friends to decide how one would wish to be remembered and the kind of arrangements they wish to have.

These conversations should not be easy, but they are necessary for everyone to be on the same page and understand your wishes.

It may be unpleasant to think about, but writing your own obituary is a forthright approach in coming to terms with what is bound to happen, and it is a form of coming to terms with the eventuality of one's death.

This proactive decision helps you decide how you want to get your life celebrated and allows you to confront and take the reality associated with passing on. This preparation can bring a feeling of peace, knowing that you have taken care of an important piece of your legacy.

An obituary can capture in words the cultural, spiritual, or personal values that mean the most in life. Whether it's in boasting special traditions, creeds, or anniversaries, writing your own obituary guarantees that they do.

This reflection of your values can provide a more nuanced, personalized portrait of your life.

In short, drafting your own obituary is a thoughtful and substantial exercise that presents numerous benefits. This affords one, the opportunity to ease the family's burden, reflect on one's life, be specific on the most important parameters, and helps avoid disputes. It also serves as his present to his loved ones, encourages open discussions on end-of-life planning, and represents his cultural or personal values. Although not a comfortable task for some, the clarity, peace of mind, and empowerment it would bring would make such a task especially worthwhile.

FAQ- 

When should you write your obituary? 

Writing your own obituary is definitely a responsible way to ensure that the life you have lived is represented in the way one wants it to be seen. One can do this when you are older or if you have significant life events or accomplishments that you want others to remember you by. Updating it periodically will let you add in recent achievements and changes, relieving loved ones of this task during difficult times.

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