When the morning paper comes, some people grab the sports page first thing while others head right for the obituary section. I bet this is more common in small towns where everyone is connected by just a degree or two of separation.

I, for one, am happy to see obituaries changing, with family members authoring loving tributes, including little details and remembrances of their loved one’s life. Obituaries have become little biographies, where readers hear about remarkable accomplishments, odd achievements, quirky lives, wild adventures, and endearing qualities. We often hear how kind and generous a loved one was, how they were always there for their friends and family members with a smile on their face. To be remembered that way seems to me the greatest tribute imaginable–far more important than one’s external accomplishments.

Obituaries have the power to reacquaint us with the beauty and fragility of life. We have but this one road we take through life, and we fill it with family and friends, careers, and special moments. The last words written about that life tell the world that this person was here, and maybe a little about what it was like to be them.

Carl Reiner, an icon of comedy who passed away at age 98, frequently quipped about his age saying, “Every morning I pick up my newspaper, get the obituary section, and see if I’m listed. If I’m not, I have my breakfast.”