“The Wealth of Your Life”

An ethical will, or what I prefer to call a heart will, is perhaps the most extraordinary gift someone who is terminally ill can leave to a family member. In its simplest form, a heart will is the act of passing down ethical values from one generation to the next – typically in written form. This can include a person’s dreams, hopes and lessons learned in life. As Andrew Weil M.D. expresses, a heart will can also help in the spiritual healing of the surviving family member.

Today many people extend beyond written words to deliver a ethical will in any number of creative forms. Your special stories, memories, or advice can be voice-recorded. You can include images, special tokens, or express your thoughts through art of any medium. I have a friend who has been ill for many years and over time has written letters to his son and mailed them to himself. Someday his son will have the intimate heartfelt gift of opening those letters and reading the words of his father written as he grew up while his father was still alive.

Susan B. Turnbull’s “Life Legacy Cards

Ethical wills stem from Judeo-Christian tradition. The Hebrew term “ethical will” historically refers to a document written by Rabbis or Jewish laypersons in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Today, there are no rules, and this includes the gift of what I will term “a reverse heart will.” For example I heard of a young girl, whose mother was killed in an automobile accident, who wrote letters to her mother and placed them in a special velvet box. It was the daughter’s personal legacy to her mother and her own tool to heal as a child.

“How can something that’s two—dimensional stand in for a three-dimensional me?”

Susan B. Turnbull’s “The Wealth of Your Life, A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will

For those who like having a format and directions to construct their heart will, I highly recommend Susan B. Turnbull’s “The Wealth of Your Life, A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will.” A spiral-bound booklet, it begins by asking “How can something that’s two—dimensional stand in for a three-dimensional me?” and through a beautiful format it inspires and guides you as you create you own personal heart will. It does not provide the final format into which you plug your finished product, but instead offers a well-thought-out outline to use to create your legacy words and offers you examples. Additionally, there is a set of “Life Legacy Cards” to help inspire thoughts and stories towards writing your personal ethical will.

“Words that come from the heart enter the heart.” The Torah

How amazing an act is that of creating a heart will? I think it’s the most endearing gift of all. I’d love to hear of heart wills our readers have created and given to their loved ones. Please email me at suzette@sevenponds.com or offer your comments below.