Of Letters and Preambles
For me, except for the occasional thank you note and a “Christmas letter” or two, receiving a handwritten letter is becoming increasingly uncommon. Odd really, because nowadays so many people would rather text than talk. When I was dating, writing letters, and sending notes was natural. I actually looked forward to the mail arriving, and excited when the gift of a letter was delivered.
There is nothing quite like a well written and carefully crafted letter. If you want to compare generations; how they thought and expressed themselves, read the letters between Jefferson and Adams, of Henry David Thoreau, of soldiers and sailors in the Civil War, or of anyone born before 1940. Today we blast off texts as fast as our fingers can hit the keyboard. We add emojis to make a point or express a feeling. Email too, is being replaced by the tweet and text. Sadly, I do not see letter writing returning as the preferred correspondence. Technology has hardwired us for the immediate response; waiting an hour is annoying, waiting a week is beyond the limits of patience and accepted social norms.
Among the many categories of letters, from business proposals to romantic love notes, our legal will can be classified as a type of letter as well. It expresses what we desire for those we leave behind. As the new year begins, reviewing our will along with other legal & healthcare documents can be an incentive to reflect upon our life and those we love – including our church family.
Having lived well, we can make provisions about how we want to die with dignity. A well written and carefully crafted estate plan – will, trust, healthcare directives and durable power of attorney, is indeed a love letter to those we love and the charities we support. As faithful stewards, we can express our desire for peace within our family and that our gift of property will be a blessing, and not a curse.
We can further our will as a splendid love letter by adding a heartfelt preamble which offers the reader an insight into our inmost desires for family and charities. We can express that beyond the gifts of material wealth, we give our hearts and our love in prayer. This preamble might be the last time we get to say “I love you” to those we cherish. For some, this might be the first time those words are said, and for the loved ones left behind, those written words become the most treasured inheritance.
To receive your free will planning guide, contact Gary Melville at gmelville@umfne.org or call 800-585-4347 x103