I’ve finally got round to writing my will. I thought I was far too young but as my six-year-old daughter recently reminded me on my 40th birthday: ‘you’re dead old you dad!’ And I thought, she’s right, the clock’s ticking!
With that in mind, I set about writing my will. When I got the paperwork through it was a sobering experience.
I never find it easy thinking about my final end; the estate of Benjamin James Murphy didn’t seem to amount to much, certainly not in physical assets or personal treasures. I don’t think my family and friends will be fighting over my pristine George Michael records when my time is up!
But it did get me thinking about a recent experience I had with an elderly lady who was nearing the end of her life.
She was widowed and had an amazing story to tell. I always find the elderly fascinating to listen to. I could spend hours listening to their stories; maybe it’s from losing my grandparents at such a young age.
A lasting impression
I saw Audrey just a few days before she passed away and she talked about her precious family and how she hoped to be reunited with her beloved husband. ‘I do miss him’, she said.
I had the opportunity to thank Audrey for her friendship and all the wisdom and kindness she had shown me.
Audrey taught me the importance of being kind, even if it goes unnoticed or unappreciated at the time.
She taught me to have the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. She also said ‘health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it’ — that’s certainly a lesson we can all take.
While I know these words won’t form part of my physical will, they’re the type of legacy I’d like to leave behind when my clock stops and my time is up. Hopefully that isn’t for a long time yet, despite the years my daughter is putting on me!
Working in partnership with Farewill
Our Hospitals Charity is the official charity for The James Cook University Hospital, the Friarage Hospital and community hospitals across Teesside and North Yorkshire.
We help improve the health and wellbeing of over one million people by making sure they benefit from the best possible services and facilities.
And now we’ve teamed up with Farewill to offer you the opportunity to write your will for free online or over the phone.
While for generations, writing a will has been slow, expensive and inconvenient, Farewill are making the process easier, faster and fairer than ever before. So much so, you can even write a will from the comfort of your own home.
Leaving a legacy
Leaving a gift to Our Hospitals Charity in your will is the greatest honour we can receive.
The process is straightforward and our charitable status (Charity No. 1056061) could reduce the overall amount of inheritance tax you’re liable to pay.
Some of our recent legacies have enabled us to create bereavement rooms, update our children’s emergency department and improve our renal unit.
Generous donations have also allowed us to purchase state of the art medical equipment and support our staff’s health and wellbeing in light of the pandemic.
No matter how big or small, your will can help leave a legacy that makes a lasting difference to our NHS heroes and those closest to you.
How to write your will for free
If you’d like to write your will for free and leave a gift to Our Hospitals Charity, follow the links below:
• Leave a gift for The James Cook University Hospital
• Leave a gift for The Friarage Hospital
• Arrange a call to make a will over the phone