STORIES | Obituary

I have signed up for another course at the University of Toronto Continuing Studies in Creative Writing. It is the second required course toward my certification. The first assignment was for us to write our obituary in 300 words. It is a great tactic by the professor who got to know his students quickly with this exercise.

I figured I’d share mine:

OBITUARY – Jennifer “Lee” Currie

A woman of contradiction, some of her own making and some of circumstance, she was nothing if not resilient. She was fond of saying her superpower was “turning shit into sunshine” and she did. From high school valedictorian to university drop-out she became a lifelong learner earning certification in life coaching, real estate, oracle cards and astrology after a challenging and fulfilling 25+ year career in the grocery industry. She was finally focusing on her first love: stories, when she dropped dead at her computer while writing her first assignment, her obituary.

Lee’s greatest achievement was single-handedly raising her four brilliant children, they brought her unequalled joy. She wanted to be a better mother than her own and learned quickly that she had set that bar too low. Considered by many to be a fiercely independent rebel, parenting suited her ability to love, to nurture and fix any challenge thrown her way.

It may come as a surprise to many that Lee was an introvert with a big personality that equalled her physical presence. Her laugh was usually the first thing you noticed about her, heard before she entered a room. Lee always looked for the best in everyone and everything and found great humour in the human condition when she wasn’t heartbroken over it.

A lover of order, Lee had a list for everything. Gridded journals filled with to-do’s, random quotes, travel plans, blogging ideas, shopping lists and morning pages. She leaves behind her journals, calendars, overflowing bookshelves and scrapbooks. Oh, the scrapbooks. Prolific.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please raise a glass of cheap rink wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc, in Lee’s honour.

What about you? Can you write your life story in 300 words?