From Rock Legend to End‑of‑Life Reflection: What Ozzy Osbourne’s Last Rites and The Journey’s End Teach Us About Legacy and Dignity

I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal about Ozzy Osbourne’s memoir Last Rites, which offers a raw look at the final chapters of his life. What struck me most wasn’t just the drama of his health battles or the weight of his public persona—but rather how Osbourne confronts mortality.

That resonated with me because it echoes many of the ideas in The Journey’s End.

Here’s what these two works teach us about life, death, and how we carry ourselves in between:

1. Facing the inevitable with honesty

Osbourne does not shy away from admitting mistakes and frailties. He reflects on health crises, family dynamics, and what it means to come to terms with decline.

The Journey’s End argues that our culture overemphasizes “fighting to the last breath,” often at the cost of dignity and meaning. Instead, it encourages readers to accept life’s limits and make intentional decisions about how we die. 

Together, they suggest that courage isn’t only in defiance, but also in surrendering to what’s beyond one’s control.

2. Legacy is not what we build—but how we end

Ozzy’s memoir is, in part, an effort to shape how he’ll be remembered—warts, triumphs, humor and all.

The Journey’s End emphasizes the importance of “death literacy” (knowing one’s options, putting one’s wishes in writing) so that one’s final act aligns with one’s values. 

The intersection is powerful: we rarely get to control how long our story runs, but we can influence its final pages.

3. The cost of over-medicalizing life’s final chapters

Ozzy’s memoir recounts invasive surgeries, complications like sepsis, and repeated recoveries—an experience many in the public eye might fear or conceal. 

The Journey’s End critiques the U.S. system’s over-reliance on aggressive care near death, often because of payment models and cultural expectations to “do everything.” 

In both, there’s tension between extending life and living it well in one’s last chapter.

🤔 What can we take into our own lives?

Encourage conversations about end-of-life wishes and respect that sometimes the bravest decision is not to push further, but to step back.

Recognize that a narrative is unfinished until its close—and that how we approach that closure matters as much as how we began.

In closing, I’d love to hear how Last Rites or The Journey’s End (or both) shifted how you think about endings in life.