Writer's hilarious yet emotional obituary for her mother brings the internet to tears
A writer has brought the internet to tears over her hilarious yet poignant obituary for her late mother.
Caity Weaver, a journalist for the New York Times, posted the heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Dr. Maureen Brennan-Weaver, who passed away on June 14th in her hometown in Pennsylvania.
Caity's post has since gone viral, in which she described her late mother as "riotously funny" and "pathologically generous".
In the tribute to her mother, Caity described her amazing ability to find a good deal and how she would use this skill to treat her loved ones.
"Maureen was six-foot and loved strays of all species," Caity wrote. "She could outthink any opponent, was riotously funny and pathologically generous."
"If you mentioned a thing you liked, she'd get you 11 when she found them at a great price."
"Maureen's true joys were helping people, and anyone anywhere saving money. She briefly employed a skilled housekeeper but found her a more lucrative job."
"She clipped coupons for diapers and left them in the grocery store baby aisle. Decades ago, she acquired a huge box of toothbrushes for pennies on the dollar and has kept her family in toothbrushes ever since."
Caity spoke of her mother's fearlessness, saying, "Maureen had a cackle that crashed through rooms. She died before discovering what, if anything, she was afraid of."
In the obit, which has been retweeted more than 32,000 times, the writer joked that her mum's death "shocked all who loved her" since she was "ahead of schedule for the first time in her life."
She added that Maureen is remembered by her husband of 33 years, John, who she provided "selfless care" throughout his "prolonged infirmity."
Caity went on to explain that Maureen, who worked as a podiatrist, was "treasured" by her patients, who often "showered her with homemade treats."
"Dr. Brennan-Weaver could not stop herself from buying shoes for patients if she spotted just what they needed while shopping. She categorically did not do house calls, except for patients she 'really liked'."
Caity concluded the tribute with an emotional statement about her mother, saying, "No amount of time with the astonishing Maureen would have been enough for her family and friends, though she gave us enough toothbrushes and memories to last several lifetimes. Oh, how we loved her!"
Many users were moved by Caity's tribute to her mother, with readers saying it made them "laugh and cry at the same time".
One person praised her obituary and offered condolences, saying, "I’m sorry for your loss, but it seems we are to be the beneficiary of a number of her fine qualities for some years to come."
Another person said, "I can only dream of writing a tribute like this, that captures someone’s exuberance and boundless generosity. I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds simply wonderful."
Image credits: Twitter