This woman wrote her own obituary, and it's just beautiful

Emily Debrayda Phillips, a teacher from Florida, died on March 25 after a short battle with cancer.

Her death didn't make the news, but something she wrote has now been shared thousands of times online and praised for its bittersweet beauty - her obituary.

She wrote it shortly after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on February 24, and it was first published in the Florida Times Union last week.

In the obituary Phillips recounts growing up as a middle sister, becoming a teacher, getting married and having kids, and then grandchildren.

It begins with the words:

It pains me to admit it, but apparently, I have passed away. Everyone told me it would happen one day but that's simply not something I wanted to hear, much less experience. Once again I didn't get things my way! That's been the story of my life all my life.

In another memorable section, just nine words long, she wrote:

...I was born; I blinked; and it was over.

Her daughter Bonnie Upright told the Huffington Post that hearing her mother read her own obituary to her a couple of weeks before she died was "one of the most special moments of my life".

"To hear my mom tell her story, with her words, and her voice, is something I will always treasure. We laughed at the appropriate times, and cried when she was through," she said.

Upright said the family "couldn't be more proud" of her mother.

"She was a teacher by profession, so for many years, she impacted the lives of hundreds of children. But in the end, it’s the lesson she’s taught adults that may be the most memorable of all," she said.

Phillips ended her obituary with the words:

I'll leave you with this… please don't cry because I'm gone; instead be happy that I was here. (Or maybe you can cry a little bit. After all, I have passed away).

Today I am happy and I am dancing. Probably naked.

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