Last week my wife and I went to our lawyer’s office to sign our wills, powers of attorney, living wills, and health care proxies, all of which the prudent person is told to possess. These were not our first wills or health care proxies, but we’d never organized the other two. Now that we’ve signed all four, we’re reasonably prepared for the last act.
The signing took place in a conference room on a dizzyingly high floor, with spectacular views to the west. Two witnesses and a notary public participated in addition to our lawyer. I suppose these were present when we signed previous wills, but somehow this time I felt the ceremonious aspect of the event more keenly. My awareness that this was likely to be the last of my last wills and testaments probably contributed to this perception.
Before each of us signed our wills, our lawyer asked us individually a series of questions, to which each of us answered in the affirmative. I remember that an affirmative answer was both reasonable and required, but even though I answered these questions only last week, I have no memory of the questions themselves.
The only other occasion in which I answered a solemn, publicly asked question in the affirmative was at our wedding, when the rabbi asked me if I would, if I was willing to – but what in the world did he ask me? I don’t remember that either, but the ceremony took place more than 48 years ago, so I suppose I can be forgiven for forgetting. Besides, I was so nervous that the rabbi might as well have been speaking to me in Greek - or in Hebrew, come to think of it - except that I somehow knew that an affirmative answer was required. I do remember my response, though. It was “I will.” I hope I've done what I promised to do.
2010-2011 Anchises-an Old Man's Journal All rights reserved
I hereby state my wish that all the papers you signed l become old and yellow before they will be of any use
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