Words and how we use them

I live alone and every morning my day begins with coffee and the newspaper.  Words, thousands and thousands of words on newsprint that leaves ink on my fingers and some words imprinted for the day in my thoughts.

Today as everyday, I finish by scanning the obituary section.  It isn't about who died but about who they were and how they lived - how their lives impacted others regardless if they lived a few months or more than a century.

It is also interesting to note just how we find the need to write something about "how" they died.  No matter the age, the word so often used is "unexpectedly."  We expect life but we don't expect death.  Today a couple in their 90's died within four days of each other - both unexpectedly.  As did the 18 year old and the fifty something.

Somehow it seems that all of us can expect our lives to end.  We just don't know when or what will be the "cause."  Another favorite term is "natural causes."  Now that is pretty real. 

Nothing pithy, nothing profound, just thinkin' about the words we use and how we use them.  Gotta go hang up the clothes - the washer just quit.  I expected that!