Mark it on Your Calendar: "Plan Your Epitaph Day"

November 1 marks the day that some of us will sit down to write our own epitaph. Whether near the end of life or not, some comfort may be taken in the power of the written word as one drafts these final words in brief summation of their existence.

Some may sense a macabre element inherent in such an occasion as November's Plan Your Epitaph Day, and there may be. However, it may be more a matter of convenience and surety.

Our epitaph is kind of like our 30-second elevator speech, only more personalized and usually shorter—thus deeper (emotionally); and, with much less predictability regarding the circumstances and delivery of the communication.

What is an epitaph?

An epitaph is essentially a story by which an event, person or time may be remembered. Take, for example, the image of the Haymarket Riot Memorial:

Image via Wikipedia Commons Author

The Gravesite Epitaph

The best examples of an epitaph like that which we're considering herein are found on individual gravestones and crypt plates. These epitaphs, or ultra-short stories, comprise a message about the deceased person to which they refer. An epitaph may be as simple and fundamental as

In memory of . . .

Alternatively, or in addition, an epitaph may be a more elaborate statement:

With Love, Throughout Eternity . . .

Yet more detailed epitaphs can be found, such as:

GOOD FREND FOR JESVS SAKE FORBEARE,
TO DIGG THE DVST ENCLOASED HERE.
BLESE BE Ye MAN Yt SPARES THES STONES,
AND CVRST BE HE Yt MOVES MY BONES.

—classical literary work, as appears on the tomb of William Shakespeare

There are epitaphs you wouldn't want, like that of a maid of Queen Elizabeth:

Here lies, the Lord have mercy upon her,
One of her Majesty's maids of honour:
She was both young, slender, and pretty,
She died a maid, the more the pity.

Why Draft Our Own Epitaph

See, when you think about it, a special day set aside to draft our own epitaph makes perfect sense. We could leave it to chance, and most probably do. But, all things considered, summation of our life experience may be best left to us.

Of course, there is little guarantee of our wishes being met before our death—and much less after; but, we do know that desire and clarity are important factors in our best, results-oriented, goal setting.

Being that the date of the occasion is November 1 each year, there are several other reasons for the inspired event.

1. Being the day immediately following Halloween, our minds are ceremonially prepared for the macabre side of life. 
2. Being the fall season—aka the cooldown that signals the end (or hibernation) of many things, such as green leaves and growing food
3. Being the day also known as All Saints Day, November 1 is already a celebration of sorts. (In some traditions, food gifts are commonplace.) Why not make it a little about ourselves as we strive to follow in the footsteps of our most hallowed. 
4. Being All Saints Day, one of the traditions of the day is to actually visit cemeteries. Many do visit deceased loved ones on this marked day. Notably, in the Americas at least, florists are likely to see a spike in patrons at this time due to the tradition of bringing flowers to graves on November 1.
5. Self-help strategy: Minding one's own potential epitaph on an occasional basis is a way of gaining introspective insight into their persona, or how they relate to the world outside their personal sphere. What do you think about yourself, and what would/should others be saying about you after you pass on from this world? Do these perceptions match up?

So, we can see that writing one's own epitaph is not all as macabre as one might initially think. Still, it doesn't hurt to be in such a frame of mind. The post-Halloween autumn season of falling leaves and temperatures certainly lends to an ambience conducive to the task.

Can you think of any other inspirations to draft your own epitaph?


REFERENCES:

Famous Literary Epitaphs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/epitaphs.html

November 2019 Official, Fun, Crazy and Bizarre Holidays. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.brownielocks.com/NOVEMBER2019.html

Plan Your Epitaph Day, November 2 or April 6 at Holiday Insights. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/April/planyourepitaphday.htm

Shakespeare's funerary monument. (2006, April 4). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare's_funerary_monument