Prepare to Die

I learned just the other day that Mandy Patinkin had lost his father shortly before beginning filming for The Princess Bride. As he said the lines, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” in his mind he was addressing the cancer that had taken his father.

This left the “prepare to die” phrase stuck in my head for a bit. It also reminded me of a project I’ve been working on for a while now. I’ve been building my own Death Book (I know, I need a better name for it). But it really is just that: a book to be used in the event of my death. My own “prepare to die” manual, or maybe a “prepare for once I’m already dead” manual, I guess.

It’s a bit morbid, yes. But also, kind of a necessity. I know I will someday die. I do not know when that day will be. Given that, I should have my affairs in enough order that whoever has to clean up after me has at the very least a bit of a road map.

So that’s what I’ll be going over this week. I’ll cover how the idea came up, how I plan to make use of it, and maybe try to inspire others to think about these things as well. Because you, too, are alive today, but will not be forever (spoilers! Sorry!).