THE discussion of obituaries in an age of divorce and egregious narcissism continues. It’s a fascinating subject. I’ve always thought kindergarten teachers and police detectives know more about basic human nature than most people. Now, I believe those who put together obituaries in the local newspapers do too. In the latest entry, Alexandra, a former obituary journalist, tells of the confusion that resulted when a deceased man’s two families could not agree on a single obituary.

Thus, the next day featured two obituaries of the same man, one by his second wife and her children, one by his first wife and her children. Their accounts were radically different. Each left out the other spouse and children. Who knows which came closer to the truth of the gentleman’s beliefs and values? I was appalled by the spectacle, and it reminded me that the carnage of divorce doesn’t heal itself. (The second marriage had lasted for 25 years.) The consequences go on and on, without end.

—– C0mments —-

Buck writes:

I can’t imagine that there are challenges to obits written about men who lived long and childless lives.

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