Just last week was Epitaph Day, that weird and wonderful day that is celebrated on April 6th; a day allotted to plan the inscription a person wants made on their tomb or grave when they die.
It’s a big enough thing to even come to terms with the fact that we are all going to die one day, let alone muse on that thought…but it’s a truth; we are all going to the ‘great beyond’ and to write an epitaph for oneself for that specific occasion is an opportunity to immortalize your memoir.
It may be a rather ‘morbid’ thought…but with the best intention as to what you want inscribed - what you hope you have imparted to those who know you best…measured against the realization that you may not have exactly or always measured-up to the standard you wished to portray. Most of us can come to terms with the real person we are, foibles and all, but I’m sure we all hope that only good things will be spoken in our thereafter.
I guess it all boils down to the legacy a person builds while they are still here on this earth that will influence the thoughts and conversation beyond their demise. The legacy being “the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life,” as the Oxford Dictionary states.
I think we all are rather egotistical when it comes to analyzing ourselves, as we seem to use tainted rose-coloured lenses trying to make the best of what we see. I believe deep down in everyone’s heart is a desire to emulate a respectable, loving, sweet and kind human being that exudes joy and a vitality for life…with a smile that never goes sour. That is where I want to live!
Some interesting and rather unique epitaphs written for themselves:
“I will not be right back after this message.”
- Merv Griffin
“There goes the neighbourhood.”
- Rodney Dangerfield
“Murdered by a traitor and coward whose name is not worthy to appear here”
- Jesse James
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free at last”
- Martin Luther King
Another great epitaph could read something like the Irish saying that says, “May you be in heaven a full half-hour before the devil knows you’re dead.” Now that’s optimistic!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
