Okay. I originally planned this to be last month’s post when I stumbled across the linked article in early December, but I had second doubts about the topic during the holiday season, so here it is this month. I hope you had a great holiday season and that 2025 is off to a great start for you and your families.

No one likes to talk about dying. It’s a topic most people try to avoid at all costs, but it’s eventually going to happen to all of us no matter how hard we try to avoid it. Sadly, because we don’t want to talk about it, we’re also less likely to plan for end-of-life decisions and that certain eventuality.

In this very poignant article, the author wrote about her conversations with her father about his end-of-life desires after he appointed her with medical power of attorney. These conversations went on for over twenty years, and one of the key takeaways for me was that his desires evolved over time. Those changes made having ongoing conversations even more important.

I Had To Choose Whether To End My Dad’s Life. Here’s How I Made That Unthinkable Decision.

It’s never too early to have these conversations. Last summer, a friend lost his 47-year-old brother and another friend lost his 44-year-old brother-in-law. Both passed quickly so no one in their family had to make a similar end-of-life decision, but no one was expecting either to happen. Two of my elementary and high school classmates also passed away last year, one from prostate cancer.

Following my mother’s lead, I’ve created a binder with the nuts-and-bolts information needed to manage and dispose of my estate when the time comes (important when you’re single), and I review it quarterly to make sure it’s current. But I haven’t reviewed my medical power of attorney since it was written in 2006. It’s time to do that to make sure it’s aligned with my current thoughts and desires. Of course, determining my current desires is an important first step, and I’m guessing they may evolve over time and circumstances, just as they did in the article.

Yes, talking about our own demise isn’t fun and isn’t comfortable. But clearly expressing our desires now could lessen the burden on family members and eliminate guesswork when the time comes, especially when they’re in a heightened emotional state.

That’s a win for all of us.

This post originally appeared January 11, 2024, on Dan’s Journey Through Prostate Cancer. It is republished with permission.