The Obit Obligation

My grandparents, now long gone from this earth, used to lament that their week was planned by obits. They had to read the obituary notices in their small town to see who they knew had passed, and therefore, whose funeral they would be attending. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to open the paper each day and read about another friend who had passed away.

Now my parents are going through this, but their obit notices have taken on a broader scope. They receive e-mails and phone calls form all across the world. In a day and half, they learned of six deaths – all of people their age or younger. One poor former high school classmate lost his wife, daughter and father in one month.

I’ve lived in this town long enough to feel the need to occasionally check out the obit notices to make sure no one I know is listed there. It’s an odd feeling. However, if I learn about someone’s passing, it’s usually through a phone call or bounced e-mail.

Not too long ago, I tried to figure out why the e-mail address of a former colleague of mine had bounced. His home phone was disconnected, but his voice mail for his cell phone still worked. I checked the website where he works and found out that he had passed away.

Now if a friend doesn’t answer my calls or e-mails promptly, I find myself checking the online obit files. Of course, I don’t tell them that when they do finally get in touch. Some things are better left unsaid.