Charlotte Fox was one of the most adventurous women I have heard about. She was a serious mountain climber…acclaimed for reaching the summit of many of the world’s tallest mountains. She was the first American woman to climb three peaks above 8,000 meters, including Mount Everest in 1996. That climb will forever live in infamy because her climbing party encountered disaster on their descent and several of them died. This was all documented powerfully in Jon Krakauer’s bestseller “Into Thin Air.”
We can all agree it is risky to climb the world’s tallest peaks. However, with all its risks, Charlotte didn’t die while mountain climbing. Charlotte died while she was at home alone, like any of us might be on any given day. She slipped on her hardwood stairs, fell and suffered fatal injuries at age 61.
Though there are few certainties in life, one we know for sure is that we will all pass away someday. We just don’t know when or how, we just know we will. Most often we believe death will come when we’re old and frail. Maybe we expect it when we are over age 90 and contract pneumonia. But even “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” (famous phrase coined by Robert Burns in “To a Mouse.”). Sometimes, unfortunately, we don’t die from old age but die due to a simple household accident, like Charlotte Fox. In fact, more than 18,000 people die each year from household accidents in the United States.
Since none of us knows when tragedy might strike, it’s best to have a plan in place, in case the unexpected happens. To get you started thinking about a plan, here are some basic components your plan should include. There are certainly other elements that would allow your plan to be like a “custom suit” for you, but these will get you started…
For all of these reasons, I strongly encourage everyone to prepare at least this basic plan. When these are in place, regardless of the dangers that may lurk around the corner, you’ll be prepared. You will have a plan that will combat the unexpected because you (and your loved ones) will know what to expect.
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