Sonia Todd from Moscow, Idaho, knew her time was running short. At just 38 years old, she faced cancer with courage—and a sense of humor. Instead of leaving her obituary to others, she decided to write it herself. She felt most obituaries followed the same predictable pattern, and she wanted hers to be different. What she created was a heartfelt, funny, and deeply honest reflection on life—one that continues to inspire long after her passing.
She began by downplaying her achievements, joking that aside from raising her two wonderful sons, marrying her loving husband, and finding faith, she hadn’t done much worth paying for in an obituary. But her words revealed far more wisdom than she gave herself credit for. She didn’t want her loved ones to exaggerate her life with “fish tales and half-truths,” so she took matters into her own hands.
Sonia admitted she wasn’t perfect—she made mistakes, sometimes said the wrong thing, and had regrets. But she also believed in learning from every hardship. With her trademark wit, she even found a silver lining in dying young: no more student loans, fear of telemarketers, or dealing with the IRS.
Most importantly, she used her obituary as a chance to thank those who shaped her life. And in her final words, she left a challenge for the living: do something meaningful in her memory. Volunteer, write a heartfelt letter, quit smoking, or simply make someone smile. Her message was clear—life is short, so fill it with kindness.
Sonia’s words remind us that it’s never too late to live better. And thankfully, we still have time to take her advice.
