Two recent, unrelated stories in the New York Times drive home how fleeting life can be and how important it is to plan. The first, “A Rabbi’s Enduring Sermon on Living Your Last Five Minutes” recounts the moving story of Rabbi Kenneth Berger. Rabbi Berger used the Challenger space shuttle disaster to remind his congregants the importance of taking stock of one’s soul. If you knew you had only five minutes to live, what would be your thoughts and regrets? Three years later Rabbi Berger died in a plane crash holding the hands of his daughter and son. They survived; he did not. I suspect Rabbi Berger had already taken stock and was at peace.
The NYT article “Tips for Avoiding Traffic Accidents Abroad” highlights the risks American’s studying abroad face when travelling in motor vehicles. The article drives home the fact that the threat of a road crash far exceeds that of terrorism, infectious diseases, crime or a plane accident. Again, life can be fleeting. Accidents happen. Many people think that advance care planning is just for older people. The simple fact is that younger people are at higher risk of a traumatic accident and more likely to be unable to convey their wishes in an emergency.
An underlying message in both articles is that people should plan. Plan so that you have few regrets. Plan so that family and friends know your thoughts and wishes. GoodEnding is here to help.