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Who Are Your Next of Kin?
Since talking about end of life issues has become all the rage, or let me say this another way, since raging about end of life issues has become all the talk, I’m adding my thoughts, at least as it’s relevant to this site.
On my desk, until a few months ago, I had a bright orange post-it with the word, WILL written on it, as a day-glo reminder that I wanted to get my “affairs” in order. There was no urgency, but that’s exactly the point. I should be doing this now, when the reality is theoretical and hopefully far in the future (like landing a spacecraft on Mars.) But I couldn’t figure it out.
Without a husband or children, the choices weren’t obvious. How could I possibly weigh the value of a relationship between a beloved blood relative who I don’t see very often, and a best friend who is in my life every day? Who do I trust to make decisions when I don’t have the capacity to do so for myself? I procrastinated for two years. Was there an attorney, I wondered, who specialized in estate planning for single people, who could help me? (Not that I could find. Sounds like a business opportunity.) I finally got referred to someone whom I liked, after the first awkward moments in his office.
We got down to business. I made a list of dear friends, relatives and charities that are important to me, and have made the biggest impact on my life. (A very interesting exercise.) The estate attorney explained that whatever documents we drew up, were just the first draft, and could be revised again and again, as circumstances changed.
I’m glad it’s done and put away, for a VERY, very long time.
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FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
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