A Legacy of Personal Values

Everyone needs a will, and everyone should have a “living will” (or other health care directives), as well.  In recent years many people also have begun creating “ethical wills” – statements of their beliefs, values and ideals that they plan to leave behind for friends and family.

These aren’t legal documents, and they are not made for the purpose of distributing valuables – although one could argue that ethical wills leave behind the most valuable of all assets: a person’s wisdom and knowledge drawn from a lifetime of experience.  That’s important to people who would like to see their values live on.  Ethical wills are usually written statements, but video or audio recordings of one’s thoughts and experiences work just as well. The content, not the form, is what’s important.  What do people put into ethical wills?

• Expressions of faith and beliefs and the role such convictions have played in their lives;
• Lessons learned during life, including the impact of specific events and experiences;
• Personal messages of forgiveness, apology and reconciliation that were left unsaid during life;
• Messages of hope and inspiration for those who carry on.

One advantage of an ethical will is the ability to reflect on one’s thoughts over a long period of time – and polish the words to convey just the right meaning.  Face-to-face conversations on these topics may not be as effective, or comfortable.  People who have made ethical wills often comment that they wish their parents or grandparents had left behind similar statements.  Ethical wills are sometimes shared during life with family and friends, who commonly remark that they were touched by the words and were seeing their parent or friend in a new light.

You can find more information on ethical wills at www.ethicalwill.com; www.personalhistorians.org; www.lifehistoryservices.com and www.lifebio.com.

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Copyright © 2009 by R&R Newkirk. All rights reserved.