You Just Never Know

I spent sometime over the past few weeks with my neighbor whose mother passed away recently and very much unexpectedly even though her health was poor and she was pushing seventy.

My neighbor was struggling, not only with her life in general, her kids and siblings whom mother provided care for but also with the multitude of details that needed to be addressed regarding her mother’s passing. From death certificates, to social security number and taxes, to wills, bank accounts and cell phone plans. From credit cards and PIN numbers to BC Hydro accounts and everything else in between including organizing both her mom’s cremation and celebration of life.

Little of all this was organized or planned, mostly of it was being handled on the fly! At a time when we are highly emotional handling all of this without being planned is both unfair and risky. Mistakes happen and oversights occur when emotionality and practicality are interwoven.

To avoid this all to common end of life crisis and to allow your family the space to grieve well it is important to plan ahead for the inevitable. Gathering your paperwork together, planning your estate, handling your advanced care directives, planning your cremation or burial and your celebration of life well in advance will create both the space for grief and the certainty that the end of life details have been taken care of.

The Memorial Society of British Columbia has created the All Ready to Go Binder for this very reason. Please do feel free to visit our web site at www.memorialsocietybc. org and take a look at the binder. Help us support you by purchasing your copy today.