It is said by some of life’s deepest thinkers
That penning one’s Will can be a bit of a stinker.
Another wise owl opined: One can ameliorate
This problem if one were to create
A letter of wishes.
What should such a list contain
If raised passions we are to constrain?
‘The fondest of my post death wishes
Is you party, ignore the dishes,
Cover all with happy kisses
And someone take care of the missus…’
But even before they celebrate a life
There’s guidance needed to avoid strife:
What to do with his body, for pity’s sake?
Would he want to be buried or baked?
Donate him; embalm him?
Let’s face it, you’re not going to harm him.
And whatever route you decide to go
It’ll cost a barrow load of dough.
Perhaps it would be for the best
If you recycled him, with all the rest
Of his crap. All that random stuff
Of which we’ve had enough:
The unreadable notebooks
The misshapen cloths on hooks,
The lack of valuable jewels
The rusty box of tools
The hats and caps of many sizes
The shades and specs to cover his eyes
Strange adaptors
Bits of fossilised raptors
Jelly moulds
Remedies for colds
Boxes (under the stairs)
Of Socks (not in pairs).
My Gilbert O’Sullivan LPs
Supports for dodgy knees
Jigsaw puzzles
An old dog’s muzzle
A stirrup pump, rather sclerotic
Health magazines, not at all erotic
First Day covers
Something of mother’s…
No, just dump it all
Have a ball
All I ask
Please
Is keep hold of the memories…
The good ones, anyway.
TanGental 
A lifetime worth of treasure for someone but the memories are the prized jewel to cherish. Great post, Geoff. KL ❤️
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If people just say nice things for an hour then they can do what they like after that
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😆
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A wonderful Will, Geoff. Ours are very simple – each leaves everything to the survivor trusting, as stated, him or her to distribute among children and others whatever remains of our belongings. If we both go together they can sort it out between them 🙂
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I do wonder if I’ll bother with a funeral plan. Let them party though I insist on five minutes of wailing and gnashing before it’s another round
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Lovely Geoff … We’ve sorted out wills and funerals all sorted and payed for long ago…might sound morbid but we’ve had to deal wit so many humdingers that we decided to sort it all out for the lads.,…as for our stuff I’m with you it’s all to be chucked apart from the memories…., I have a sneaky feeling you’ve got yours all sorted too.
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I expect my daughter will ignore any instructions and just have one mother of a Passing Party. Suits me.
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Our lads …. probably the same 😁
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Since I was in the army we sorted our plans out long ago and they have been regularly updated since. Funeral plan/will/living will/dementia will – all sorted. Property changed to Tenancy in Common (Important in UK in case of Care Home fees). Our daughter has assured us that she will hire a large skip and anything that doesn’t go to charity shops will go in the skip. We are happy with that. It is never too early to get things sorted!
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If I asked my son he’d probably say I was going in the skip to avoid the eye watering cremation fees. V practical that lad. I have half a mind to provide that my ashes are super pressed into a diamond and the beneficiary who is prepared to wear me in their ear (where i can rabbit on infinitum) can have everything.
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You could insist on an ash tattoo as a prerequisite for any inheritance. Apparently ash tattoos are a thing!
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I think that my sagging skin is probably unsuited to tattoos even one as jolly as ash..
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Not for you – for the potential beneficiaries!
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Ah yes, naturellement. How crass of me…
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Profound thought, Geoff. What to do with the detritus of a life. We’ve got the wills sorted, now just need to tack down the funeral arrangements. Morbid but must be done. Every day is a gift.
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It’s the three pieces of music that seem to be de rigeur at funerals here that cause me angst. I toy with Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life from the Life of Brian though that seems trite. It’s A Wonderful Life, maybe though the timing is off. And if I’m buried then ‘Going Underground’ by the Jam, or if cremated ‘Come on Baby Light my Fire’ by the Doors. Possibly one of the most perfect instrumentals ‘Going Home’ by Dire Straits. Tricky, damned tricky.
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Wonderful choices! You should definitely consider them. I would like to have people dance in to Celebrate Good Times by Kool and the Gang and NA NA NA NA, HEY HEY HEY (Goodbye)by the Dave Clark 5.
Light My Fire is also under consideration!
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The Dave Clark 5! Now that takes me back. (He leaves to visit Spotify for a fix)
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Already visited the DC5 on YouTube!
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I think you got a hold of my wish letter. Anyway, yours is terrific.
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It’s a repeatable and unending list, methinks, john
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I agree.
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Beautifully done! I love it.
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Someone who understands
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It’s always good to sort this stuff out. The amount of stuff most people collect does make permission to dump things in a skip necessary. Sorting it all might create the wrong kind of memories…
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Im incapable of a meaningful sort for that very reason – i get lost in the past
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This sounds just like my husband. He keeps stuff because ‘it’s bound to come in useful one day.’
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I never realised i hoarded but that’s problem implicit in hoarders – a lack of self awareness
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Yes!
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It’s a must i think to try and avoid any post death recriminations. I’ve told them that when I’m gone, I’m gone and I will not be coming back.
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Exactly!
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Ha, Geoff, this is bitter sweet. I prefer to pretend my parents will never die.
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PS, this despite one sister laying claim to certain pieces of my mother’s jewelry and telling her to write a list of awards for her various children. I was shocked but it probably is wise if that sister feels strongly about certain items.
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My mother in law never spoke to her sister after their father died and said sister took certain items on the basis of a ‘promise’. No will, of course. Very sad as to that point they’d been close. Now, fifty years on, one is dead and the other, my MIL is suffering from dementia and wonders why said sister doesn’t visit.
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It is dreadful how people behave in these situations. There is a similar story with my mother’s siblings and I see it being re-lived by my cousins, and as I mentioned, one sister.
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Yes, well I tried that and not for the first time they let me down. Still, what we had was rather splendid and they both nag me to this day.
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💗
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A heartwarming look at the things which really matter—our memories and the impact we had on others.
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Quite so… Maya Angelou had it best with the bit about remembering how you made someone feel
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