Prepare and Don't Stress Ahead

Of course non of us is getting out of this life alive, that we are all pretty sure of. But some of us have avoided planning for the after life by putting off a will or making arrangements for how and where we want to be buried or cremated. Denial of death is one of the reasons, and another is that we just don't take the time to take care of this important planning piece of our lives.

When my father died at 57, my mother was left with more questions than answers. I remember walking into her apartment one day and she was sitting at the table with piles of bills, insurance policies and other important papers. She had that overwhelmed look on her face that said, "help me, please. We sorted through what we could and then went shopping, which was a great diversion for a few hours until she had to return to the project at hand.

That is the impetus that most of us chose to light a fire under ouselves and get the ducks in a row for the family afterward. Dad had been the bill payer, breadwinner, and basically took over the paperwork for the family. Mom was now clueless going forward, having to settle outstanding debts mostly and hopefully notify the life insurance company.

Our preparation means their peace of mind. Getting that job done is a loving project for us to finish so that the information is there for the family when we are gone. Believe it or not, having had that information finished or updated can help us the ones who are leaving the legacy to sleep better too.