Where There’s a Will…
There is nothing that makes you feel more mortal than writing a will. It’s one of those things that you want to get right, and you put off doing. I remember back in 2007 I was going to hold a meeting for people in the cafe who wanted to have a lawyer make up their wills. The attorney called it the “Procrastinator’s Workshop.” I ended up filling out a form and getting it all ready to send and then leaving it in a folder unsent. Why? Why does everyone it seems just put off and not want to set up the terms of their estate after they’re gone?
When I found out about my slow-growing yet-still-in-there lymphoma, it made me realize I could not let procrastination continue. I dusted off that seven-year-old folder and made an appointment to see my friend Laura Dushame, attorney. We had our first meeting and all proceeded well. My main consideration was to make sure my home continues to be Mary’s home after I’m gone, for as long as she needs it.
It isn’t a complicated instrument, but better than not setting it all in place with a specific legal document. The probate court might not set everything up as I wanted them to, so for now, I can cross off an unpleasant but necessary task on my to-do list for 2015.