Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. -Benjamin Franklin, 1789
Though the stability of our Constitution may be debatable these days, Ben Franklin asserts the obvious certainty of death and taxes. We go to great lengths preparing our taxes due, without fail, every April. Why is it, then, that we avoid putting as much effort into preparing for that other inevitability – death? Every adult knows that tax day is April 15, but did you know that the following day, April 16, is National Healthcare Decisions Day?
National Healthcare Decisions Day is a time to reflect on the type of care you would want if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness or found yourself in a life-threatening medical situation. What would you want your medical care team to know? What would you want your loved ones to know? How would you want to spend your remaining time so that you would find peace and hopefully moments of joy?
Where do you start? Actually you start with the last question about finding peace and moments of joy. This brings us to the present and one brief way to take that first step. Take a piece of paper and write at the top, “What Brings Me Joy.” For the next week, notice what you do that brings a smile to your face, brings you comfort, feels like a mini-luxury and so on. Don’t forget about the five senses, i.e., the aroma of fresh brewed coffee! At the end of the week, you will have valuable information for your loved ones should you ever be a in a situation where they are needing to comfort you.
Go on! Find some joy!