Several people I "know" from internet postings have lost loved ones recently. In some cases, the loss was quite sudden and shocking. Each time I read the sad news, I was reminded again of my mother's death, and her careful, caring preparations for it. She had a binder with all of her paperwork, kept next to her favorite chair. In it was a copy of her will. Copies of her various powers of attorney. Recent copies of household bills, so we'd have account numbers. And a copy of the paperwork for her pre-paid funeral arrangements. We were broken and dazed, in no shape to contemplate decision-making or financial constraints. And we didn't have to. Not only was nearly everything pre-paid, but we had the comfort of knowing the arrangements were what she genuinely wanted. It's not a pleasant topic, but since that experience I've shared with everyone of a certain age what a relief it was, in a terrible time, to have all those details already handled, in the way s