Home July 24, 2007 - Making a Will
“I really can’t procrastinate any longer.”
On a recent Tuesday morning, Lovelle Svart met with her attorney to talk about something she had put off for years: making a will.
She had stayed up late the night before, making notes and sorting through records, which she gathered into a Multnomah County Library tote bag.
In a 13th-floor office overlooking Pioneer Courthouse Square, Lovelle went over the mundane details of what is often called “getting your papers in order.” Life insurance, financial assets and liabilities, advance directives, cremation, burial. Who gets what and who will handle the estate after she’s gone.
“It’s such a relief to have that over with,” Lovelle said after the meeting. “I feel so much better now.”
— Don Colburn
My dad was given the “T” word with 6 months or less to live in June 2006. We lost him on August 2,2006. He was a very active 75 year old man, diagnosed with prostate cancer in November of 2004. He went through all the phases of treatment trying to stop it, but it continued to grow into his bones. He didn’t believe in the “pill” to end his life, but I think if he would have known what he went through in those last days, that he would have changed his mind. I might be wrong, i’ll never know. I do know, that if I am faced with the same choice as you, and as he, that I would indeed take the pill. It will be a year tomarrow that he has been gone, and sometimes all I think about is those last days..not the good days of those 75 years of his. I am still grieving. The great memories are coming to me slowly, and I treasure them. My thoughts are with you. JC
(Originally posted to vimeo.com/oregonian)
Thankyou for your honesty and eloquence on a subject which, of course, affects each and every one of us but which is, still, difficult to discuss. I admire you for the way in which you have chosen to be so open with your own experience. Love and best wishes.
(Originally posted to vimeo.com/oregonian)
Thank You for sharing this with us. I am touched by your frankness. It is a very uncomfortable subject but one we all deal with. Your diary be stored in my memory forever.
Thank you so much for your huge gift of sharing….this is definitely a subject that needs more discussion,research and awareness.
I also really like your frankness and your sense of humor! Your fried’s story was priceless…
More! More!
I’ve really enjoyed these postings — thank you! I appreciate your humor and honesty, and I hope that many of us will be inspired to begin/continue talking with friends and family and death and dying.
Your open candor and willingness to share your feelings are inspiring. Your ability to come to terms with dying and embrace it with grace is something that we should all learn from.
God bless you,
Elaine
Thank you for your bravery in commencing this series. You will help countless others view their future and help them make the best decisions for them based on fact and not imagination. God bless you, it is a good thing you are doing.
You are a very wise and courageous lady.
Thank you for sharing your insights and thoughts.
Death and Dying are part of living and we must all
embrace that.
God Bless You on your journey
Thank you Ms. Svart for a view into the process of what we all must face. I appreciate your efforts to normalize and place a face on dying. Our culture suffers greatly for our interesting ability to avoid discussing anything we consider remotely frightening or unpleasant. Your story is just so human it touches me deeply. I laughed with you about the poop and I felt shock at considering facing death in under 6 months.
I have only seen one other person face death with such dignity and insight and that was my father. I hope your story reaches millions and I wish you a peaceful death in whatever manner you choose.
Sincerely,
Karen
Lovelle:
I admire your willingness to be part of the legal action and, as well, to consider using Oregon’s law if it is in your interests. I had a friend who years ago with the help of a willing physician hastened his own death as he approached losing his mental faculties and as his physicial condition worsened (that was before it was legal). I understood as best I could and you are helping people understand now. I think it so wrong that a person who has made clear her intent and desire cannot take the drugs aided by another if the situation comes to that.
Thank you for your openness and thank you for the good years of working together, always, on your part, with a smile and a desire to help. God speed.
Dan Hortsch
I value your honesty and willigness to share. I look forward to the honor of sharing your thoughts.
Pamela
I think your project is a valuable tool of information for others. Thank you for sharing.
I am also a news researcher/librarian with a chronic illness. I am 36 years old and with all the meds I take and never knowing what tomorrow could bring, I’ve already had my will drawn up. I’m also in the process of organizing everything in case ‘tomorrow never comes’. Some of my friends think I’m pessimistic but they lack the foresight that we sick people gain…
I really like you, Lovelle. I tend to be quite pragmatic about the topic of death and dying myself, but from a safe distance so far. I see a kindred soul in you and I thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Susan
Thank you so much for sharing such a “taboo” subject. You’re talking so openly about death makes it less frightening. We are all going to go down this path. I can only hope I can be as brave as you. You are a wonderful role model. Bless you.
Sandy