An Ethical Will is a living legacy
of your experiences and values
Most people have a legal will that directs how their material possessions are be distributed . Growing numbers also have a living will, which lays down the conditions of one's death, detailing what extraordinary measures, if any, people want medical professionals to take on their behalf when they're at death's door.
But most people have done nothing to protect and distribute the most valuable things they possess: the values, ethics and experiences, that family, friends, and community deserve to know about. They rely on the memory of others to carry into the future some notion of their contribution. However, this system often fails to relate the truly important things we might wish to have know about the meaning of our lives as we see it. A movement has developed that encourages people to write down their ethical and spiritual convictions and publish them on a document for posterity. What may seem a simple matter, can be quite daunting to those who have tried to sum up a lifetime of values and beliefs, some of which may have undergone subtle or dramatic change over the years.
Though the tradition of writing ethical wills comes from the Jewish community, Jews are quick to point out that members of any religion may well find the task to be significant and meaningful.
Many people write such documents in the hope it will guide their children and grandchildren in their course through life. Such issues as, finding a vocation that adds value to the world, trying to relieve suffering, and finding a criteria of value, are often considered in the reflections an ethical will might contain.
The importance of humor, making mistakes as a way to learn, of having a balance in life and respecting other people are all part of the profile a person might discuss. An ethical will is a way to see that your values live on. Your values may change and increase over the years, thus re-writing an ethical will may be important. The concept of ethical wills has been around since biblical times. For instance in Genesis, Jacob summoned his family to his deathbed and briefly described the family's heritage to each son as they gathered about his bed.
The writing of an ethical will should not be a deathbed experience. For instance, people getting married could take a look at it, and clergy should ask them to write an ethical will. During estate planning, you bequeath your valuables, but do you bequeath your values? Funeral homes doing pre-need planning can encourage the elderly to prepare an ethical will. Ethical wills, at their best are almost like a love letter.
But anybody writing an ethical will must avoid guilt trips and reaching out from the grave to scold. An ethical will should sum up a person's life, give praise, encouragement and honor to all who read it. In sum it answers that most important of final questions. What exactly is the value of my life?" ã MetroDirect Net
