She died all alone

When we enter this world, there is so much joy. We are surrounded by people and within minutes news of our arrival is spread everywhere. At the last though, it's not the same. This lady in Italy, Marinella Beretta, died with nobody else around, and for at least two years, she wasn't even missed. It's almost like she was never here. To me this is very sad. There was nobody with her at the end.  She died all alone.

Now we have heard the other story of course, about folks passing away "surrounded by family and friends." That's the more uplifting story. I think this is the way most of us would want it. This all-alone version is all too common though.

Just yesterday I was talking to someone about those who are all alone, especially folks with health issues. Often there is no family, and for whatever reason, there are no friends around for these folks either.  I don't have one quick answer for this, except to say we need to care more.

The story of Marinella Beretta is being reported all over the world. In a front-page editorial for the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, she is described as "loneliness personified." Another paper, Il Messaggero, wrote "The mystery of Marinella's invisible life behind the closed gate of her cottage teaches us a terrible lesson. The real sadness is not that the others did not notice her death. It is that they did not realize Marinella Beretta was alive."  Indeed.