On the will of the will
Honouring the wishes of the dead has been a long-lasting part of the human culture. Even when those wishes don't make sense.
Those who should be celebrating a life that passed soon get busy with debating the responsibilities that has been passed on to them. Or consumed with the desire to question what the person they thought they knew was thinking.
An insanely simple thing to do is to have your children and trusted loved ones read your will before it becomes unchangeable1.
It's too simple and counterintuitive that it's often not done.
Some fear that those who will benefit the most from the content of the will will have an incentive to activate it.
Sadly, that's a real problem.
As with almost all problems, the solution is closer than we think. Closer, not easier. Oblique, not direct.
The most important part of the solution comes long before writing a will - equipping your children and loved ones with love and values, so none of them are interested in accelerating your demise, or gaining from it.
Love trumps fear. Creating a family culture that focuses on what truly matters is better than leaving things to chance. The way appears where there is a will. No pun intended, but that's true in both ways.
h/t Warren’s note from November 2024.