Legacy

For most of us, the furthest we consider our last will and testament is asking our friends to delete our internet browsing history. And who knows, maybe we will reach our 200th birthdays or be immortal, and have little need to think of such things. Even so, for several years now, I have kept a will I do my best to update each January. Some may find it morbid or excessive, especially with the relatively few and unimportant possessions of a teenager. But keeping a will had made me feel more adult, being proactive by creating a plan to make things easier on the people around me. With the years, my ‘estate’ has grown with my age and life experiences. Part of a will is logistics — what to do about the money in your bank or the t-shirt at the back of your closet. But it is also about legacy. Of preserving sentimental effects with your family and friends, of making a difference to strangers, donating to your favorite charity, or saving lives with your viable organs. I have to ask myself what standards I would like to keep or discard. Would it be too much on my loved ones to ask for my body to be cremated into a firework, lit, and turned into the bright colors of the sky? Putting my affairs in order also brings up questions of my current state of the union. I ask myself, “if I died right now, would I be satisfied?” or am I consumed by loose ends? Life is your master or death is. I confront this fear by taking the time to contemplate my last will and testament. My days have more clarity, as I am motivated to value every precious moment.