 Have you ever known someone who was always
going to do one thing or another, but they never seemed to get around to it? We call that
procrastination.
What are the reasons for procrastination? I suspect there are many reasons for this,
including a desire to avoid unpleasant tasks. Folks always seem to have time to do the
things they want to do, and they have a shortage of time for the things they do not know
how to do, feel uncomfortable doing, or prefer to not think about. Death is one of those
things that most folks just do not want to think about.
Out of necessity, I think about death and memorialization all the time. It no longer
scares me. When it occurs, I know that I am ready. How about you? Are you ready? You will
have to decide what “ready” means for you; I will not preach to anyone, as that
is not my task as a professional. But I feel a sense of responsibility to pass on as much
information as I can.
Putting Off Until Tomorrow Has Its Limits
If you can plan a wedding, a vacation, or a celebration, then you can plan your own
funeral and your own memorial. Remember, putting off until tomorrow has its limits. Make a
resolution to pay your final respects to your family as you would like others to do for
you.
In no particular order, here’s my suggested short list of things to do to get
started:
 Meet with an estate planning attorney
to prepare your Will, a Living Will, and other legal documents, perhaps making a bequest
to your favorite charity, such as a hospice.
Write a detailed obituary that tells
your life story as a resource to future generations and genealogists. Include your
favorite photo with your obituary.
Plan a personal funeral with
instructions on how you want your end-of-life decisions to be handled.
Plan and construct your own family
heirloom memorial that will inform others of your “living legacy” SM.
Write personal letters to your loved
ones to be delivered after your passing that tells each of your loved ones that you love
them.
Consider creating a “living
Will,” to allow for precautions or directions in case of a life-altering emergency.
You can update your end-of-life plan, up until the end, so get started now. After all, it
is the right thing to do.
|
| About Burton Fletcher: Burton Fletcher, with over 20 years’ business experience, owns USAMonuments.com. He
writes frequently on monument building and memorialization. He is a licensed memorialist
in Georgia and Florida and he ships and installs across the United States and Canada.
Burton is the founder and president of the Georgia Monument Builders Association,
www.GAMonumentBuilders.com. He enjoys photography, genealogy, visiting cemeteries, and
studying Southern monuments. Reach Burton at (229)
245.8858 or e-mail Burton@USAMonuments.com for all your monument needs. © Burton
Fletcher 2005 All Rights Reserved. |
