Member-only story
My Lawyer Says I’m Too Young for a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ Order
I’m not sure I agree
Having lost both of my parents in the span of less than 16 months, I have been forced to consider my own mortality lately more than I normally do. I don’t mean from a theological or metaphysical standpoint (that part’s actually fun, especially when cracking jokes about dying around people who are freaked out by the very thought), but from a practical, financial, and (ugh) legal standpoint. Since I normally avoid all things practical/financial/legal like the plague, it’s been a bit of a pain.
You might think that this has been caused by mom and pops leaving everything in a state of disarray, but other than a small issue with their ashes (more on that in another story), the exact opposite is true: they had everything completely handled years ago. They gave me the number for the lawyer, the accountant, the financial advisor, the funeral home, keys to the safe deposit box, and more copies of important papers than I ever wanted. It has, for the most part, been a smooth process, logistically if not emotionally.
This efficiency that is the hallmark of the Silent Generation (the one between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers) made me realize something that is not uncommon for my generation (Generation X, the real greatest generation): I have not prepared…
