I have a collection of humorous and poignant epitaphs
and tombstone verses. I find it interesting to note what is said about someone
who has recently died. Granted, not all tombstone sayings are telling. Like the
one for Lester Moore at Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona:
HERE LIES LESTER MOORE FOUR SLUGS FROM A 44 NO LES NO
MORE
Or this grave marker from Uniontown, Pennsylvania:
HERE LIES THE BODY OF JONATHAN BLAKE STEPPED ON THE
GAS INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE
In the effort to explain how the person died, the
tombstone of Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York says:
LOOKED UP THE ELEVATOR SHAFT TO SEE IF THE CAR WAS ON
THE WAY DOWN IT WAS
Television celebrity and talk show host Merv Griffin
penned his own:
I WILL NOT BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS MESSAGE
Sometimes these “last words” reveal more than the
deceased may have wanted, like this one:
HERE LIES A FELLOW WHO LIVED FOR HIMSELF AND CARED FOR
NOTHING BUT GATHERING PELF NOW WHERE HE IS OR HOW HE FARES NOBODY KNOWS AND
NOBODY CARES
These posthumous writings will often summarize a life.
If accurate, they can point the reader to that which was most important to the
deceased. Did this person enjoy life? Was she cared for? Did he make a
difference? Did she leave a legacy?
When you die, how will you be remembered?
Newspaper columnist Nick Clooney printed some epitaphs
from people still alive, written by themselves. Some were humorous, some
serious. Some hoped that their own original epitaph would be close to the way
they might be remembered. One that I appreciate came from Charlie Mechem, former
head of Taft Broadcasting. Charlie wished that this might be put on his
tombstone: “Dear God, Thanks for letting me visit. I had a wonderful time.”
All right. Not every day is a wonderful day. But as I
look back over my life, the good and bad, the difficult and fun and exciting and
dreadful, I would like to be able to say in summary: I had a wonderful time.
There were friends and family, there were failures and even disasters, but there
was also plenty of fun. And through it all, there was important work to do. When
it’s finally over, I want to honestly say I had a wonderful time.
So I’m going to make sure I appreciate today. And I
know that if I can look back on most days as being somehow worthwhile, and often
times enjoyable, I know that if I will find a way to appreciate every day given
to me, I will be able to say in all sincerity, “I had a wonderful time.”
I can’t ask for more.
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