4 ms·

I imagine that's partly because the obituaries are written soon after the deceased's passing. Someone in the group of people close to the deceased has to write

I imagine that's partly because the obituaries are written soon after the deceased's passing. Someone in the group of people close to the deceased has to write it, and probably someone less emotionally destraught by their passing. So it ends up colder than if someone more emotionally invested had written it.

appplication 3y ago
It’s also in the middle of the insane logistics that get dropped on you when a loved one dies. I wrote my dad’s obituary. Three days prior none of us would have ever thought about it. We were dealing with figuring out what actually happened, planning the funeral, tracking down contact info and notifying friends and family who we hadn’t talked to in sometimes decades, notifying my work, his work, medical bills and health insurance, life insurance claim, police reports, autopsy and coroner, notifying banks, canceling gym membership, unlocking computers and online accounts, pulling out old photos, actually talking to people because everyone I knew was suddenly messaging at once, coordinating family flights and housing from overseas… it’s just one of an crazy number of tasks at that point. You want to do a good job, but you also very quickly want it behind you. I recall talking to the newspaper and they said it was something like $40 for a text obit, and $75 for one with a picture. For whatever stupid reason I was on autopilot frugal instincts and went with the lower cost option. It didn’t even occur to me until days later that was the dumbest place to save money, and not even that much.
- cheema33 3y ago
  It has been suggested that one should write their own obituary. It gives you perspective. I just tried writing my own and it was a depressing affair. Maybe I need to reconsider my priorities. Also, it goes without saying that your loved ones will appreciate it when you do finally kick the bucket.
  - klondike_klive 3y ago
    When writing my dad's eulogy I came across a few different pieces of writing he had done describing his life. They weren't exactly obituaries and mostly were full of dumb jokes but they helped a bit.

appplication 3y ago

It’s also in the middle of the insane logistics that get dropped on you when a loved one dies. I wrote my dad’s obituary. Three days prior none of us would have ever thought about it. We were dealing with figuring out what actually happened, planning the funeral, tracking down contact info and notifying friends and family who we hadn’t talked to in sometimes decades, notifying my work, his work, medical bills and health insurance, life insurance claim, police reports, autopsy and coroner, notifying banks, canceling gym membership, unlocking computers and online accounts, pulling out old photos, actually talking to people because everyone I knew was suddenly messaging at once, coordinating family flights and housing from overseas… it’s just one of an crazy number of tasks at that point. You want to do a good job, but you also very quickly want it behind you. I recall talking to the newspaper and they said it was something like $40 for a text obit, and $75 for one with a picture. For whatever stupid reason I was on autopilot frugal instincts and went with the lower cost option. It didn’t even occur to me until days later that was the dumbest place to save money, and not even that much.

cheema33 3y ago
It has been suggested that one should write their own obituary. It gives you perspective. I just tried writing my own and it was a depressing affair. Maybe I need to reconsider my priorities. Also, it goes without saying that your loved ones will appreciate it when you do finally kick the bucket.
- klondike_klive 3y ago
  When writing my dad's eulogy I came across a few different pieces of writing he had done describing his life. They weren't exactly obituaries and mostly were full of dumb jokes but they helped a bit.