Once again in the crazy little world that is my life, we are about to lose another beloved family member. This time though, he made all his plans and organized his estate well in advance, knowing that this day would come.
When my birth father learned of his Parkinson's diagnosis, and that he was in the early stages of Lewy Body Dementia he made sure to take care of his "business" right away.
He updated his will, assigned his executor (and a backup), ensured that he had his Power of Attorney taken care of. He even took the time to have developed a Trust to take care of his Estate. He does not leave behind a fortune but he was very smart with what he had and made sure to protect his hard earned blue collar dollars.
Shortly after diagnosis, he took the entire family away to Lake Nipissing for one last family vacation. All his grand children were there and we have great memories of that week away in the glory of Northern Ontario. We had a chance to celebrate his life while was still well and to celebrate the life of our family. Dad ensured that he had a final chance to fish and boat with his grand kids and create lasting memories that will hold them for a lifetime.
My Dad even made sure we were all very aware of what his last wishes were for a funeral and whether or not to bury or cremate. While this my seem incredibly morbid to some, in our family, it is just a fact-of-life discussion. Without a doubt it was painful to listen to, but at the same time, it is a discussion that needs to be had.
Today, with all the sadness we are feeling as a family, there is also an immense gratitude that we do not have to; guess at what his wishes were, that we do not have to feel regret for time not spent together, and that the stress of the closing out his estate and belongings will ultimately be, as stress-free as he could possibly make for his children.
So, are you ready?
