I absolutely love reading obituaries in our daily paper. They are the last bastion of perfect journalism and local news — they are juicy and interesting and leave you thinking. They tell someone’s story of all stories in just a few column inches. They are always a quick, but reflective read. The best part is, there is no set standard for an A+, gold-star obituary because, thank God, there’s no prescribed form for them anymore. Some are written by the deceased, in letter style to those left behind, and others are short and sweet, funeral information only. Some are about babies and children, which make you wonder and feel sad, then clutch gratitude for the health of the young people you love. Some are like a stale template — they include all the dates and clubs and accolades and go on for inches and inches without really describing much personal detail about the person. Others are so well-written and witty and wonderful that they are plagerized — by families across the world — again, and again and again, right Bonnie Phillips Upright? I know people who are obsessed with “doing it right” and worry about what fancy details they want included in their obituary, their degrees, awards, volunteer leadership or professional titles and recognitions. They want to make sure it’s proper and that surviving family is listed the right way or in good order. How boring. The best obituaries are ones that perpetuate someone’s spirit through authentic storytelling. Besides informing the community of funeral arrangements, that should be the end goal of an obituary — to leave a legacy, to ensure someone (and their good, bad and/or ugly) is REMEMBERED properly. That and to stay within an affordable column inch count because truth is, obituaries are freaking expensive. This is a long way of saying, do your family a favor and take a stab at writing your own obituary — or make a list with all your important dates and details. That way, whoever’s writing or placing your obituary can work with the facts and figure out what they can edit out, you know, to stay in budget. #GrandPlans