Prepay

Prepay

For several years Judy and I have been trying to get our house in order. We aren’t getting any younger and there are things that need to be done. Our first project was to get our wills updated. The last time we saw a lawyer was when our kids were toddlers. Our concern then was to make sure they were provided for if something happened to us. Now we are focused on who does what and who gets what when we die.

Our next project was to put in writing our advanced medical directives. Our local hospital has a nice booklet that took us step by step in choosing who will make medical decisions for us if we can’t and what kind of medical care we want towards the end. Our doctors and the hospital have copies of these directives. Lots of stuff to do before you die!

This year we have been talking about final arrangements for our demise. I finally made the call to the funeral home asking one of their people to pay us a visit. A nice young lady came and laid out all the details for us: regular burial or cremation, cemetery plots and grave markers. I confess I needed more than one glass of wine after that conversation.

A week later, Judy and I visited the city cemetery to pick a plot where our ashes would be deposited. We have a nice graveyard that is well groomed. It was very strange for the two of us standing in the middle of the cremation section debating which piece of sod would be best for us. The irony of it all is that we won’t even be there to enjoy this expensive piece of turf.

The final stop was to meet the headstone sculptor. I had no idea of the variety of material, design and expense of these markers. After looking at a computerized catalog of stone, I left that decision for another day. I am uncertain as to whether we can agree on the color of granite or the design. That may take a miracle.

When all was said and done, I added up the cost so that we could prepay for our end of life experience. I presented the bottom line to Judy for final approval. She said she would rather take that money and spend a week at an all-inclusive resort on the Mexican Riviera.

Now that’s a tough decision!