To Plan Or Not To Plan

Last month, I begged my parents to write their wills. Dad’s response was disappointing, “I’m not dying yet.”

Last week, Dad was taken to the Emergency Room after suffering from multiple small strokes on the left side of his brain. For the first two to three days in the hospital he couldn’t stand, walk or speak intelligibly.

He’s doing better now, though he’ll need to go through quite a bit of rehab. I’ve been on high alert all week and worried, spending almost every day at the hospital for at least a couple hours if not more.

I was scared and I still am, but also, I must admit, I was angry. How can he be so unprepared and argue with me about planning ahead? I know it’s not just the type A project manager in me that needs this to happen. However, as a project manager I can say that even when things don’t go as planned, having a plan in place makes it so much easier to find our way back to the right path when things get derailed.

Signing a will is not signing your death warrant. I’ve had one since I was 30 and honestly, with the ease of online services like Legal Zoom, there’s simply no excuse. It’s a gift to your family and a way of protecting them from the hassle of legalities during an incredibly traumatic time.

Now that he’s getting stronger and can comprehend and hold a normal conversation, Dad may argue that he doesn’t need a will. After all, he survived. Don’t be like my Dad, write your will. We are merely mortal.