Obituaries. "No, I will skip them." you might say, but we all have to agree that we have read and even scrutinized a few of them in our lives. First, we take a look at the face. Next, we browse the names. Lastly, we give it one more look to spot any other detail which we might have "neglected". We look around the whole page and to see if there is another one worth taking a look at.
Most of the time, the obituaries section will always be skipped whenever I read the newspapers. When I am reading the Home section of The Straits Times, I will make the effort to flip two pages at once when I realize that I have reached the end of the money section. The same applies if I read the Home section backwards where I start from the sports section.
Although it is hardly considered newsworthy, the obituary section is still worth spending a couple of minutes on. When I do read or rather study an obituary, I tend to think about how fragile life is. You can be sitting at the table looking at obituaries in the newspaper today and you may end up being looked at in the same section the very next day.
People plan a will and own a life insurance. However, how many actually prepare an obituary for themselves? An obituary which is unique to yourself. One that provides your family and friends with a lasting good memory of you. One that provides you with the opportunity to tell your life story.
When I look at the happy, serious and expressionless faces in the obituary section, I try to imagine what were the lives of these people like. I also ask myself lots of questions which I obviously don't have the answers to. I still ask them in my mind and try to come up with some creative answers.
Did they leave the world with a number of regrets? or were they able to go to another world as a happy soul? How did they pass away? What will they be doing if they are still alive? How did the world change because of their absence?
Next time when you happen to spare a little bit of time to read an obituary, why not ask yourself some questions? Although you are unable to give any correct answer, you will probably realize that you are still fortunate to be alive to pursue your dreams and achieve the targets you aimed for.
Most of the time, the obituaries section will always be skipped whenever I read the newspapers. When I am reading the Home section of The Straits Times, I will make the effort to flip two pages at once when I realize that I have reached the end of the money section. The same applies if I read the Home section backwards where I start from the sports section.
Although it is hardly considered newsworthy, the obituary section is still worth spending a couple of minutes on. When I do read or rather study an obituary, I tend to think about how fragile life is. You can be sitting at the table looking at obituaries in the newspaper today and you may end up being looked at in the same section the very next day.
People plan a will and own a life insurance. However, how many actually prepare an obituary for themselves? An obituary which is unique to yourself. One that provides your family and friends with a lasting good memory of you. One that provides you with the opportunity to tell your life story.
When I look at the happy, serious and expressionless faces in the obituary section, I try to imagine what were the lives of these people like. I also ask myself lots of questions which I obviously don't have the answers to. I still ask them in my mind and try to come up with some creative answers.
Did they leave the world with a number of regrets? or were they able to go to another world as a happy soul? How did they pass away? What will they be doing if they are still alive? How did the world change because of their absence?
Next time when you happen to spare a little bit of time to read an obituary, why not ask yourself some questions? Although you are unable to give any correct answer, you will probably realize that you are still fortunate to be alive to pursue your dreams and achieve the targets you aimed for.
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