It hit me pretty hard the other day when I heard that a friend from high school had died. Like most of my middle-aged compatriots, I have lost friends and family members along the way. The loss stays with you for a long time and catches up with you when you are not expecting it. It can hurt viciously, clutching at your heart. It has these slow down beats under the rhythm of daily life. It surprises you with a scent remembered, a song, a turn down a street long forgotten.
We know all this. SO, come back up into your head with me for a minute. Do you want to leave your grieving family with a mess? For the sake of those we love, why haven’t we made sure we have a will, a living trust, a current healthcare power of attorney, etc.? Does someone know where those documents are? Does your family know if you want to donate organs, be kept alive no matter what, or have the plug pulled at the first sign of senility? Do you want a religious service, a memorial service, a burial at sea?
If you have accomplished all of the above, let me just say, on behalf of those you leave behind: a sincere and heartfelt thank you! I’m going to challenge you further. Are your heirs prepared to manage the assets you left behind? Do they understand the legacy? Have you taught them to be stewards for the future generations? Do they know what sacrifices their grandparents made and you made to get to this point? Have you clearly articulated the values you would like them to continue?
And most of all, have you told them you love them? Okay, that last one may be a stretch…….