This year was off to great start. On the first morning of the new year I got out of bed and started writing. I didn’t work on my book, but I finally got around to writing my last will and testament. It didn’t take me very long, but it brought up a lot of important questions. Am I really at this point in my life? I’m a will writer now?! I don’t even own that much stuff!
The fact of the matter is, if you are a mortal person, and not -let’s say- a vampire, you should write some sort of will. Not so much for your own sake, but for the sake of the people you leave behind. I’m speaking from experience here: it’s so much easier to deal with it all when there is a proper document in place. ‘Aha! He wanted to be buried, not cremated. All his worldly possessions should be divided up between his children. So and so is the executor. Good to know!’
Not that a death is ever easy, but at least with a will and testament in place, you don’t burden other people with making your decisions for you. Because like it or not, they are your decisions. Spending the first morning of the new year pondering cremation versus burial was not fabulous experience for me, but a) I do in fact have a preference, and b) I don’t think my husband or siblings should be left in the dark about this. In my head they will be so devastated by my death that they can hardly get out of bed, let alone arrange my funeral.
The point is: death sucks and dealing with other people’s stuff is god awful. I would rather not eat chocolate for a week than pack down another deceased person’s house. At times it feels like a cruel joke, and who knows, maybe it is?
I’d rather be generous. By having a will in place, you get to play Santa from the grave. You get to hand out your books, jewelry, money, clothes, gifts, whatever it is that you have-you get to bestow it on your loved ones with a joyful heart and ease of mind. ‘Here, have this! I know it was your favorite.’ Trust me, they will so thank you for it. They will love you even more if you stop being a hoarder and are able to get rid of things in a timely fashion.
On that note, I’d better get going on my book. I’d better finish it before I die.
Happy writing everyone:)