Until you go through it you cannot begin to understand the impact a close death has on you.  I’m not talking about the emotional disturbance that takes place when someone you care about leaves this existence, but the practical turmoil involved in the physical process endured by those who are left behind.

If you have ever felt sad by the death of a famous person you can understand that the emotional impact of a close loss can be significant.  Many times the continued turmoil is caused from dealing with practical matters.  Years after a death that individual may still receive mail.  Hopefully the person who has to take care of it, whether it’s just throwing away another piece of junk or breaking bad news to a long-lost friend, has learned how to process the feelings that are stirred up.  Usually it’s because they have fought through those other turmoils of processing a death.

There are legal issues to worry about starting with receiving a death certificate, which is not always as easy as one might think it should be, including canceling any bills or transferring them into someone else’s name.  If it’s a rental instead of an ownership situation this creates an additional dynamic including time constraints.  There may be concerns about what to do with the body which can cause moral and legal concerns, especially with state or country constraints.

All this in addition to decisions about what to do with the stuff accumulated over a lifetime. 

Being left behind means more than just dealing with emotions, and even those often need to be processed repeatedly.  Knowing this it’s possible to make things slightly easier.  Every little thing we can prepare will make it easier for those we leave behind, whether it be instructions on our wishes or letting go of items so we can enjoy the next generation’s enjoyment.

To discuss how to live your best life without leaving a mess behind email MourningstarMinistries@gmail.com.

Join Mourningstar Ministries at the heArt & Soul Gallery Monday evenings from 6-8 for further discussions about how to live your best life without leaving a mess behind.