The Shack

Somehow inspired after reading ‘The Shack’, a novel by Canadian author William P. Young (2007), I took a real long look at my life, and the lives around me, and made a decision I wanted to be active and engaged in the decisions that would shape and define me until my final breath.

I would hope that thoughts of death and dying don’t fill your every waking moment - but it is a reality we will all face, and so, the importance of thinking about or planning for your final moments here on earth seem relevant.

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I’m an adventurist or risk-taker on occasion and I travel a lot for business and pleasure. Perhaps that’s why, once I became a mother, I put some thought into my final wishes, both for my family and for myself.

An overview of this includes:

~ Designating Godparents for my children

~ Signing my organ donor card(s)

~ Drafting a Will

~ Discussing final wishes with my family, which included deliberating whether I wanted to be buried or cremated, what kind of memorial service I wanted, and most importantly, how I was going to live my life from this moment on to leave a legacy that would motivate, inspire and benefit others

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My Dad is a ‘whittler’. He whittles. Throughout my life he has whittled, or carved the stories and visual interpretations of life’s events into pieces of wood.

So without even a moments hesitation, I decided I wanted my dad to ‘whittle’ my life’s story on to my cremation box.

Reality is though, I’m not dead, or dying... yet. But at some point, I will be - and God willing, I still have a long life ahead of me. But maybe my dad doesn’t.

Hence, I’ve decided to have him whittle away on half my box, noting that ‘my life isn’t over yet’. I’ve asked him to keep whittling, on half the box ‘til he is no longer able. I’ve decided that however unprecedented this is, it’s my life, my last wishes, and part of the legacy my dad will leave behind and live on through me, and with me.

Lest we Forget.