Mybituaries
Mybituaries were created as a specialized version of an obituary – the ones that are written while you are living at any stage of life.
Obituaries hold some of the most interesting stories we read. Hundreds of words come together to tell the story of a person’s life. Like a beautiful puzzle, the words press in next to each other, piece by piece. When completed, we have the full picture, a more complete understanding of who this person was and, in most cases, we are touched by the memories shared.
In honor of how deeply reading and writing obituaries has touched me, I have created Mybituaries – small, personal stories inspired by the obituary form. Written ahead of a person’s passing, and in many cases, decades before, these pieces are written with people of any age who hope to share their experience of life and the stories they hold dear. A Mybituary may serve different roles: one, as a precursor to an obituary, and the other, perhaps less expected role, as a tool for inspiration.
“A Mybituary is the beautiful story of your life written at any age, with you and for you.”
A Precursor to an Obituary
A Mybituary offers us an opportunity to select the story told after we pass, ahead of time. We set aside time to think through our life’s story, to remember laughs we shared, to recall our dreams, our accomplishments, and our favorite quotes, poems, songs, trips, cars, pets…! It allows us to choose our own words surrounding these memories and offer a message to our friends and loved ones as to how we’d like to be remembered.
A Tool for Inspiration
Writing a Mybituary also presents an opportunity for people of all ages, younger people, those in the middle of life, and older individuals, to celebrate what we have accomplished so far, to review life as it is in the present, and to dream of our desires for the future. It may serve as a foundation on which to act and build the life you hope for in the days and years to come. A Mybituary gives us the chance to create our future from the unique perspective of looking back.
Why Write Mybituaries?
My love of obituaries — these small, personal stories — developed over years of reading them. During college, as an intern for a local newspaper where I wrote articles and
sometimes death notices, I would read the local obituaries. I found they contained fascinating stories of people in our community.
Following my time at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, it was my charge as a press office staffer to an elected official to scan the statewide papers for relevant news articles and obituaries of constituents. I’d clip them from the newspapers and include them in press packages delivered to the senior staff. As press secretary to a
congressman, I did the same as part of our press packets, yet thankfully we had traded scissors for printed copies from the newly invented Internet!
It seemed people came to rely on me for all kinds of writing through the years, from letters, to press releases, to obituaries, after I started my communications company
more than 20 years ago. I was honored to be asked to craft obituaries and eulogies for family members of friends, work colleagues, and for members of my own family. I loved writing these pieces as they allowed me to work with the family on the intimate job of sharing the stories of wonderful human beings.
Years later, I received a request from one of my mentors to write a piece about his life for a group giving him an award. I was touched and went immediately to work researching the amazing things this man had done in his life. Following one interview with him, this accomplished gentleman said something that surprised me: “You realize you are writing my obituary?” he asked. That thought hadn’t crossed my mind. But to him, it was clear. This piece would be an outline of his life in story form. It would be ready for publication in the case of celebrations and at the ready if he were to pass away.
He was right. When it was done, his accomplishments in business, as an elected official, as a leader in the volunteer community, and as a father and grandfather, were
all included. He saw the value in this clearly, and now, I did, too. This piece being written ensured his son and daughter, in a time of grieving, would not need to start from
scratch to write the story of their dad’s very full life.
The idea for Mybituaries was born. I am grateful to continue to write stories celebrating people’s lives and would love to write one with you.
