Thinking about the Unthinkable

I'm not Boy Scout but I like to be prepared.  When we go on vacation I started packing a couple weeks before we leave and I start making lists weeks (if not months) before.  But there are some things in life that I haven't properly prepared for.  I know I need to.  I even know a little about how to go about it.  The thing is to prepare for it, is to have to really think about it. And if there's one thing I don't ever want to think about, it's leaving my kids anytime soon.

I know I need to do it.  I know I am doing my family and my kids a great disservice by not being fully prepared should something happen to me. As I've mentioned before, I DO have life insurance so that part is taken care of.  But having gone through the loss of a parent, I know that there is so much more involved than just money.  As much as we don't want to think about some 'what-ifs' in life, things can happen that leave family with decisions harder than they could have possibly imagined.  In my thirties I don't feel like my friends and I should have to even worry about this with OUR parents.  But we do and we HAVE.  The reality is we aren't promised tomorrow and we need to think about what we want should something leave us unable to speak for ourselves.  If you've had the conversation with your family and expressed your wishes, that's a great start. It is.  But it's not enough.  Until you've experienced it, you can not fully understand the magnitude of pressure you feel when you are put in the position to make these decisions for someone you love.  To be asked to chose between the wishes of your loved one and your overwhelming desire for more time with them is a burden you don't want to leave to your loved ones. 

For more ways to prepare for emergencies read here. 

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