DEAR ABBY: I am in my mid-80s, and recently a family member died. When I read his obituary in the newspaper I was amazed at how much I learned about him. I later was told he had written his own obituary. No other family member could have recalled all the relevant facts regarding his life.
My wife -- very delicately -- asked my opinion about writing your own obituary. At first I was taken aback. But after thinking it over, I told her I felt it was an important thing to do. Most of us have prepared our trusts and wills to distribute our estates after we're gone -- and that is not upsetting to us.
Abby, what do you think about people writing their own obituaries? -- MURRAY IN SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
DEAR MURRAY: I can't think of a better way for people to "maximize their positives" and "minimize their negatives." Not only that, but a person then has the rest of his or her lifetime to polish, edit and update the document. Talk about the ultimate opportunity for creative writing! (And you have the last word.)