Rest in Peace

I read the obituaries in our local paper every day.  I read them in any paper that I read, at home or when I am travelling.  I am not looking for someone I know.  I am getting to know someone new.  These essays are a gold mine of good stories and wonderful writing.  "They were together for 63 years, and sang grace each evening with their meal."  That sentence alone is a short novel.  It has characters, action and an ending.  I am heartened by the goodness of so many.  I am saddened by the loss of a child.  I meet women like me, except that their luck ran out in their fight against cancer.  I look at the pictures.  Some families choose to present their loved one in the bloom of youth, perhaps in wedding gown or military uniform.  Some choose a more recent image.   I rarely skip my read.  I like knowing that so many lives are filled with family, friends and community.  I am enriched.