We often spend a lot of time on fretting about how to handle a long prolonged death. However, have you ever imagined an accident or illness that leads to immediate death? No time for decisions or discussions.
Having the legal paperwork in order in such a case is just as important. The will and/or trust will pass personal effects on to the heirs that you want. Funeral plans or body donations or ceremony notes will help loved ones move forward knowing what you wanted.
Writing letters to your loved ones that someone knows where to find and who to distribute them to will bring smiles to the faces of recipients. Having your passwords and key secrets able to be easily found by a trusted loved one makes moving ahead so much easier.
You don’t want to think about a sudden death without time to say good-bye? You refuse to believe that a car or plane accident would happen to someone you love. You want to say farewells and run into their room and hug them one last time?
Life gives none of us promises like that. You are told that you need to live each day to the fullest and not go to bed with regrets. However, you too are human. You make mistakes. You let a day or two go by and are angry at the world.
Even in this 2020 pandemic, there is good in the world – there is good in every day! It is up to you to make the best of what you are given. The birds are still singing – go and find them. The old old man who lives next door smiles broadly when you knock on his door with the paper. You can try to do something you love – or something you are totally new to.
Accidents happen. Death happens. You don’t get to choose.
My Dad and his Dad were killed in the same accident. I can’t find a notation in the old autopsy report that suggests either were still alive when paramedics got to their bodies after the heavy machinery had been lifted off their bodies.
What difference does it make? They were crushed and nothing could put them back together again. They were both dead.
So is it easier not to face months or even years of declining health? What does it feel like to receive a call out of the blue that a loved one is dead? How long does it take a person to digest that information?
There are no answers to these questions. Life is what you make it. Live each day to the best that you can. Tell people you love them. Try not to hold grudges. Celebrate each minute.
Talking about death won’t kill you. We are all going to die. Therefore live life the best you can. And if you goof – you are human – then fix it the next day you are given the gift of a new day.
