A guest blog by Kylee Bandy, Founder of After Loss Advisors
Today, we want to delve into a topic that can seem challenging but holds profound importance: preparing your loved ones for your death. While this conversation holds much weight, it also has immense value to those who are left behind, while also providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones while you’re still living.
Why Prepare?
Taking action to organize your estate and legacy while you have the capacity to do so can provide peace of mind to you and your loved ones. It’s an act of love and responsibility, and ensures your wishes are known and respected. When you’re gone, your loved ones will be experiencing arguably one of the most emotional times of their lives. Making these decisions ahead of time grants you the autonomy you deserve and gives them clarity and space to grieve. Preparing your loved ones for your departure leaves behind a legacy of love and thoughtfulness. It minimizes uncertainty and potential conflicts, allowing your loved ones to honor your wishes with dignity and respect.
What are the Components of Preparation?
More commonly, folks know the traditional areas of life and estate preparation to be documenting their advanced directives, wills, and trusts. It can be this, and so much more!
1. Advanced Directives: Document your healthcare preferences and decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment.
2. Legal and Financial Matters: Ensure your legal documents, including wills and trusts, are in order and accessible.
3. Digital Estate: Now that so much of our lives happen in the digital space, it is vital that we utilize and set up things like legacy and emergency contacts, and include other important passwords and account access to our executors and/or loved ones.
4. Funeral and Burial Plans: Share your preferences for funeral arrangements, body disposition preferences, celebration wishes, obituary information, and any other specific wishes you may have.
5. Personal Letters and Cherished Traditions: Consider writing heartfelt letters to your loved ones, expressing your feelings and offering guidance for their future. Are you the holder of cherished family traditions or recipes? Consider safeguarding these things as well so they can be enjoyed by future generations to come.
Navigating Emotional Terrain
Conversations about end-of-life matters can evoke strong emotions. It is important for all parties to be encouraged to act with empathy, active listening, and to have open dialogue. Validate feelings and create a supportive environment for meaningful discussions. Consider utilizing outside resources and professionals to help guide conversations if that would be more comfortable for your unique situation.
Initiating and Continuing the Conversation
At After Loss Advisors, we advocate for open and honest discussions about end-of-life preparations. Initiating these conversations can be as simple as expressing your desire to share important information and preferences with your loved ones. Frame it as an opportunity to offer guidance and ensure that your wishes are honored.
End-of-life preparations are an ongoing dialogue. Regularly revisit the topics listed above to address changing circumstances and evolving preferences. Encourage your loved ones to ask questions and seek clarity when needed.
From our personal and professional experience, preparing your loved ones for your departure is one of the most meaningful gifts you can offer. Although sometimes difficult to initiate, doing so can strengthen bonds, minimize uncertainty, and empower your loved ones to navigate this journey with peace of mind. If this is a topic you feel you’d like to learn more about, join a Zoom workshop, Honoring the Journey - A Workshop on Grief and Resilience on Tuesday, August 20th at 11:30am for a conversation on grief with Gitit Kaufman, LPC and owner of Connecting Dots Counseling. This is a complimentary community event we are offering. You can register for that event, HERE! During the registration, there is a section to anonymously submit a question to be answered in the workshop webinar!
Looking for even more complimentary community events? Join After Loss Advisory on Tuesday 8/27, 5:30pm at Koelbel Library in Centennial for an event, “Crafting a Legacy: Legalities, Property, and Mom's Famous Lasagna Recipe”. Register here
This post is brought to you by After Loss Advisors. To understand more about the company, please visit our previous blog post where we highlight the services they offer. Connect with After Loss Advisors online for resources, discussions, and compassionate advice. To learn more, visit their website, or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Following is beneficial, as they share upcoming community events on their online pages!