22 August 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2837: not quite dead

My daughter recently told me that many people greeted me on Facebook after I posted recent photos from my great-grandson's birthday. Then she said something that made me think, "It's good to update your photos so people know you're alive." Alive? I have to prove that? There used to be a thing called "Proof of Life." You had to go in person to certain places, like the bank, to prove you're still alive. It's irrelevant to say that I feel more alive than ever, but it's a real pain to feel like I have to document my life on social media to prove that "I'm not quite dead." Today I took a moment to read the messages, and my perspective changed. My focus was very narrow. There was no malice there. In fact, many were former students who greeted me with joy, but I, who am quite bitter (I confess), made a world of myself in my head. There are times to rejoice, and it made me happy to respond to loving messages and take the opportunity to clarify, with love, that I'm not quite dead.  [🔗](https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/youre-such-a-positive-person-and-im-grateful-for-that-gm1203181297-345709945?searchscope=image%2Cfilm)