Dying isn't just about dying
I'm still trekkin' along. My grieving has taken a back seat to all the legal ramifications of my father's death. There's so much to take care of: taxes, creditors, money, letting people know of his death. This week I finally let his ex-wife and my ex-stepbrother know of his death. It was difficult, but I got through it with only minor tears. I found out there are more outstanding debts and it got me thinking about how much mess my father left us to deal with.
I decided that I never want to do that to my own children and we are increasing our life insurance payouts in case of our deaths. Life insurance is so important to have. I've learned that the hard way since my father left us without any and we had to struggle to pay the funeral costs out of pocket. Thank god he was in the military and his remains were put into the cemetery at no additional costs.
I'm still waiting to hear about his retirement fund. My father always told us that us children were the only beneficiaries on the account, but it's been like pulling teeth to get them to tell us that and what amount is in there. I should have the death certificate soon and then I'll be able to fax it to them and then they'll possibly be able to tell us more.
I just wish my dad had had his affairs more in order. I think he thought that he was infallible and that death would never happen to him, but death happens to anybody. It's always better to be prepared because sooner or later death will happen. I want to make arrangements for myself so that my family doesn't have to go through what I had to go through just to bury my father.
About the Author: Cristina C. Fender, 34, is rapidly becoming an expert on Bipolar Disorder. She has been researching Bipolar Disorder and blogging about her own experiences for several years. At age 21 she was diagnosed with depression and saw psychiatrists for over ten years before she was correctly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder I. Her vision for writing at Raw Writing for the Real World of Bipolar is to inform and educate the public about mental illness. Feel free to Email Cristina a comment or a question.Click here to Subscribe in a Reader.
© 2009 Cristina C. Fender
