My mom passed away last week after a very long battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia. She was a doer, a giver, and someone who spent her life serving her family and her community. And in one final act of service, she donated her brain to Alzheimer’s research. Knowing that her gift could help families like ours someday is an incredible source of hope.
In our podcast, we found ourselves laughing through grief… like discovering that writing an obituary can really make you question your own life accomplishments, or that the preferred vehicle for riding into the great beyond is a Chrysler Pacifica. But one of the greatest gifts my mom left us was her detailed “death wishes.”
Let Your Wishes Be Known
Talking about your own death isn’t exactly a fun thing to do, but my mom taught us that making your wishes known is actually a huge gift to the people you love. She spelled out everything from what she wanted done with her body to the hymns at her funeral, which meant we weren’t left making a bunch of big decisions while we were grieving. And if you make one for your loved ones, remember… it doesn’t all have to be serious! You can say what music you want played, what people should eat, or whether you’d like everyone to head straight to a karaoke bar. The important thing is to write it down. You get a little agency over how you’re remembered, and your family gets a roadmap when they need it most. You can see a copy of what we discussed below:
