Do You Have A When I Die File?

It may sound pretty morbid, but creating a findable file, binder, cloud-based drive, or even shoe-box where you store estate documents and meaningful personal effects will save your loved ones incalculable time, money, and suffering.

You will Need

Instructions for your end of life care and funeral and final disposition  (the smart thing to do is give a copy to the courts to have it on file)

An ethical will

Letters to loved ones

Creating A When I Die file doesn’t have to be a big deal. It can consist of things you’re already doing—collecting quotes you like, or journal entries, Bible verses , songs .

And if that feels like too heavy a lift, try simply writing a letter to someone you love as a way of leaving a few last words.

I directed my letters to my daughter, granddaughter and husband . I didn’t know how to start, so I went with

“What would you want to say to them if you couldn’t tell them in person?” Things I hadn’t planned to say started gushing out of my mouth. It felt like there was a football in my throat and I had to stop a few times.

The point of all this is to make a difficult thing like dying or loving someone who is dying less difficult. In that sense, creating a When I Die file is an act of love, It will always be too soon to tell your story and let people know how much they mean to you, until it is too late.