One cannot talk about end of life without realizing that none of us know when we will die.

In the US the average age of death in 2018 was 78.7 (76.2 males and 81.2 females) *1.

Can you plan that you will live that long or longer?

Plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Planning for the end of life needs to start when one is very young.

Only 70% of Americans live beyond age 65 *2.

How do you do your end of life planning?

After three parents whom I had responsibilities for died in 2017 I used writing as a catharsis. My research led me to realize that as a society we do not talk about death – and certainly not in the context of being part of our life cycle. None of my parents were willing to discuss their plans, passions, or wishes and yet it seemed that I was to look inside to their inner soul and figure out the best thing to do for them. My research led me to conclude that if we awakened society to discuss aging as an everyday occurrence, that the grand finale of life would be well thought out and anticipated.

I know—you’d rather not think about death. But the fact is, death is the one thing about being alive that you can’t avoid. None of us can. Yet, we refuse to acknowledge this simple fact. By the way, death can happen at any age, so if you’re waiting until you’re “old” to ponder your mortality, don’t.

Why are we so reticent about something so inescapable and so important? There are cultural influences and superstitions that create our head-in-the-sand attitude about discussing death,

By refusing to acknowledge death as a fact of life, you are putting in place a surefire recipe for a scenario that will be difficult and unpleasant for your loved-ones and, quite probably, for you too. You are also cheating yourself out of the opportunity to live a more meaningful life.

Acknowledging the inevitability of death and planning accordingly does not make you morbid or glum. As a matter of fact, the result is quite the opposite. You will feel relieved (I promise), and ready to do a better job embracing life. 

Get in touch! I can help!

Approaching the topic of death the same way we address other big life changes (ex: school, career, partners, homes, health, and more) helps be sure that every day is your best day.   Talk about death as a part of life.

Your goal is to have end of life planning legal forms completed.  Be sure that loved ones know where to find your checklists, plans, and forms.  They should be updated regularly but have them ready for when they are needed.  None of us know our date of death.  However, we can do end of life planning.

Do not assume that discussions and paperwork can be postponed until "old old age".  We don't get the promise of living that long - or even tomorrow!

End of life planning once done will free you to not worry about it.  Let's talk about death is a part of life!