It's my birthday. Time to update my obituary. Isn't that what everyone does?

OK, maybe not. Indeed, while this is something I have thought about doing, it's not something I've done in the past. But beginning with this birthday, I'm going to do my best to start giving my obituary, which I first drafted a few years ago, an annual review.

Let's just say there has been a gap between the good idea and the execution of the good idea.

The idea took root during a three- or four-year period when my mother went from healthy-and-unshakable to frail-and-soon-to-leave-us.

This is never an easy journey for a family, but Mom made it easier on us because she had pretty much followed the advice of people like Daniel Hermes.

"To help your family, tell them about your wishes regarding your last days and your death," Hermes wrote in Thoughts on Aging. "They want to know your desires so that they can respect them. It's important to address issues such as your legal will, burial plot, headstone, funeral home, health-care power of attorney, scriptures and songs for your funeral, and your directives in regard to........

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