Hi. My name is Jennifer, and I don’t have a Last Will & Testament.
There, I said it.
In fact, I have nothing at all planned as far as Aging & End of Life Planning goes. Should I feel embarrassed about that? Ashamed? Guilty? I don’t think so.
Surveys say I’m not alone. In fact, approximately half of Canadians (over 18) do not have a Last Will & Testament.
That makes me one of nearly 20 million people! But thankfully it’s not too late.
Why it took so long
I’ve probably had the same excuses as everyone else:
- I’m too young.
- It’s too expensive.
- I just don’t want to think about it.
Aging and End of Life–related considerations hadn’t affected me personally until the last few years. That's when I started having to contend with my parents own aging, downsizing, and moving into a retirement home, and eventually with the passing of my father last year. Thankfully, my mother was able to move in with us.
I am part of Generation X — the largest segment of the population who is also part of the sandwich generation. Many of us are caring, in some capacity, for both our children and our parents. There is just so much involved during this stage of life, and therefore certain things get put on the back burner and not given the importance they should. But Aging and End of Life Planning needs to be more of a priority, and it needs to be talked about. This is where Viive Planning comes in!
My own experience with my parents, paired with working as an administrative assistant at Viive, has really made me acutely aware of the importance of Aging and End of Life Planning.
Planning is about so much more than having a Will in place (although a Will is a great start!).
Viive is there to help you develop a plan, discuss the plan with those closest to you, and store the plan securely so that you and your family are prepared for what life brings your way. They have many support people in place, called Trusted Partners, who are ready and available to assist you with the tasks that you need to undertake to be well prepared for your future.
Honestly though, the thing that bothers me the most about not having a Will yet is not having had a guardian chosen and in place for my daughter. My husband and I have now started the process of having our Wills drafted and that brings such a sense of peace now knowing that we are taking care of this.
