Writing Prompt #59 — Final Arrangements
I Started To Prepare for When I Die At 42
And I still have much to do
As a person with a significant developmental disability, my son Diego became eligible for various federal and state benefits when he turned 18 and became an adult. There was a catch though, he needed to be developmentally disabled and poor to qualify for and maximize some of the benefits.
We learned that his owning assets or cash totaling more than a few hundred dollars would affect what he got. Just having reported that Diego had a collectible coin reduced his benefits.
At any rate, Diego didn’t own anything beyond that coin at 18. But just in case we died way before our life expectancy, we began putting our affairs in order 12 years ago. I was 42.
As much as I’m obsessed with staying healthy, I might still get cancer, perish in a plane crash, or happen to be in the path of a stray bullet. You never know.
And so, to make sure no inheritance goes directly to Diego when we die, my husband and I began our final preparations relatively early. We’ve had a special needs trust for him for years. We’ve also told family members who might possibly be considering leaving something to Diego not to do so directly.
