At the age of 38, Sonia Todd of Moscow, Idaho, passed away from cancer. Yet, she made the decision to draft her own obituary before dying since she knew her time was limited.
She said that she didn’t like the way obituaries were often written because they were written in a few different ways. In order to write her own obituary, she put pen to paper as one of her final acts before leaving this world.
Sonia’s obituary, which she wrote after realizing her own mortality, was published in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and was both humorous and wise. Her comments were so genuine and motivating that they will last long after she is gone, giving others something to strive towards. I never truly accomplished anything of significant, Sonia ironically wrote. How mistaken she was. The obituary she prepared included truths that proved to be quite a feat in and of themselves.
I haven’t done much but give birth to my two great, adorable, clever, and fantastic boys (James and Jason), get married to my kind, considerate, and priceless husband (Brian), and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior. Sonia Todd started her obituary by describing why it would differ from others and why none of them need obit space that I had to pay for.
Sonia said she simply didn’t like putting people in those kinds of situations, adding that she didn’t want a bunch of her loved ones sitting around to write a glowing report of her, which she claims would be “filled with fish tales, half-truths, impossible scenarios, and out-right-honest-to-goodness-lies.” She began by giving her version of the facts about her own life after giving the justification.
“I simply did the best I could. I tried, sometimes succeeded, but more often failed. Despite all of my bizarre remarks, jokes, and gripes, I actually did care about other people. The sort of sin that each of us committed is the single thing that distinguishes me from anybody else. I didn’t always say or do the right thing, and at the end of your life, those are the things you truly regret—the little, little things that cause other people pain, Sonia acknowledged.
Although though she claimed to generally enjoy life, she acknowledged that there were many challenges she had to face, particularly in her adolescence and early adulthood. Sonia said that while certain aspects of her life were more difficult than others, she was able to gain something from each one. She said that there were advantages to passing away young. I still owe on my college loans and the jokes on them since I’m not paying them, she wrote in jest. Also, I am no longer terrified of the IRS, telemarketers, or serial murderers. Sonia Todd said, “I believe it is amazing because I have an opportunity to say thank you to all the individuals who assisted me along the road. Some people have told me that writing my own obituary is morbid. Those that helped me, supported me, made me laugh, and taught me things in order for me to live a good, happy life. Knowing all of you was a great blessing for me. My existence was made valuable by that.
Yet the most significant part of her obituary was its conclusion. Sonia exhorted people to transform their life. “If you are thinking of me and would like to do anything in my memory, please do the following: Donate your time to a church, school, or library. Tell someone how their contribution to your life has impacted you in a letter. Quit smoking if you do. Stop driving if you’ve been drinking, she said.
Switch off the devices, take a youngster out for ice cream, and chat to them about their aspirations, she said. Don’t hold it against someone who deserves it. Swing by every kid-run lemonade stand and gush about the juice they sell. If it’s possible, try to make someone smile today.
Today seems like a nice day to fulfill some of these small requests in Sonia’s memory and to urge others to do the same. Fortunately, there is still time for these things. Thankfully, Sonia Todd left us these pearls of wisdom in her dying desire, which few people are aware of until it is too late.
