Editor:
Each week when the Optimist arrives, I glance through the pages but stop and read, carefully, each of the obituaries.
What I read is a capsule of a life that had in its owner's period on Earth, a wealth of living, be it for a short spell or a long time. The obits convey a wealth of information about the dearly departed and in so doing open the door for others to better understand the deceased person, their likes, their accomplishments, their hobbies, their employment, their travels, and a host of other points that combined were the human being named in the obituary.
What is not included in the obituaries is the deep hurt, severe agony and feeling of utter hopelessness that follows the passing of a dearly loved person, be that person a wife, a husband, a daughter or son, or any other member of a family or a close friend.
The personal comments that come from friends at the passing of a loved one are welcomed and much appreciated and do tend to soften the recent loss. It is my hope that when people read an obituary, they think of and about the family that has been left behind and offer a silent prayer for a safe journey regardless of where that journey might lead for we know not when our time will come and to be alone and adrift in a sea of wonder is best done with friends and family close to hand.
At my reading of each obituary, I offer a silent prayer for the soul of the departed and a prayer for the family left behind. I grieve as do those who remain behind.
Bob Orrick
