This is not meant to be a downer, but it needs to be discussed again.
Recently, I lost a couple of long term friends.
One died suddenly of a heart attack and one after a long valiant fight with cancer.
The deaths were entirely different, and both individuals had prepared differently.
My friend, Cheryl, just died and didn’t show up for work. Her family had to scramble to put things together.
My other friend and a mentor, Don Bailey, knew he was dying and had prepared his entire final arrangements. While battling prostate cancer, he purchased my book; Farewell, My Friend, as his guide to preparing his final arrangements.
Don’s memorial service was classy and well planned. His wife and daughters were composed and serene. They HAD BEEN PREPARED.
The last words from this former Navy aircraft electrician were,
“My prayer is that I have made a positive difference in those lives that I have touched. I have made my final landing; the hanger doors are closed, and I will sleep well knowing that I did my best.”
It was a perfect statement for Don and gave all of us a certain amount of comfort.
Getting ahead of all of this will not cause you to die any sooner than you are going to. Believe it or not, it will give you a certain sense of personal peace.
As I have stated before, here in my column or in one of my many presentations, YOU preparing your final arrangements and making your wishes known is a GIFT that you give to your family.
Now…are you in a giving mood?
Photo Credit: Iglesia en Valladolid Flickr via Compfight cc
Thank you. This is both touching and convincing. Not a downer at all. I write about grief and lead bereavement groups with hospice. When there is preparation ahead, family and friends can do the inner work of grief. We’ll all cross the wide waters to the other shore, so anything we do to help those who love us is worth doing.
As always, Beatrice, everything you write has meaning and beauty. xD.