The Dirty Work

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As a friend of mine said earlier this year (when I mentioned the glut of musician deaths [which has only grown since then]), "Ten out of ten people die." Yep. More certain than taxes (if you believe all of those political ads, everyone running for office has found a way around paying their taxes), death is the given. And, because of that, I'm doing "dirty work" tonight. My aunt is in a nursing home. She wasn't all that sick when she went in, but things have changed. In addition to that, she doesn't want to live any longer (she's almost 90). And, as I'm her power of attorney, I'm having to go through the papers to start to "get things in order." It's definitely not a task that I relish. I don't think anyone "looks forward" to this. It's a necessary evil, as I see it...but then, my family loves one another. We're not standing around at the funeral home waiting to see what we were left in the will. For that, I'm thankful like you wouldn't believe. I've seen the celebrities who've had their estates turned into a knock-down, drag-out cage match. And, in some regards, I'm glad we "know" this is coming. You can get as prepared as possible. Plus, my aunt is still mentally sharp, so there is no argument as to her wishes. So I'm going through papers (see picture) to get her life insurance policies cashed in to pay for her final expenses...while she's still alive (plus, some states consider life insurance policies an "asset," and if she has to go on Medicaid they might take them away from her). It's not a pleasant evening, but it must be done.