Thinking about Death

Yesterday I went to a yard sale down the street from where I am house sitting.  Everything was for sale, from the things under the bathroom sink to the furniture in the bedroom. It was one of those sales that depresses me to no end because it was an after death sale.  I didn't know the woman who had passed away. I saw her photo on the dresser. Her name was June Spenser. I didn't have the heart to rummage through her closet and her shoes. It was just too sad. This woman was close to my age. I don't know what she died from. The people who were running the sale were too busy to stop and talk with me about what happened. I didn't stay very long.

When I got back to the housesit, I found an e mail from my friend Stacey. She said that a man we knew, Charlie Gold, had passed away two days ago. He lived on the other side of the lake. Stacey and I had been over there to visit with him a couple of times. He was so full of life. He didn't speak Spanish so he was volunteering to teach the whole town English. He was a very large man. Expansive is a good word to describe him. He had a great sense of humor. He said that he didn't like living over on our side of the lake because it was too social. He had an aversion to anyone with pretenses.

It made me feel very sad to hear about these two deaths. I know, people die all the time and this place is no exception to that fact. Probably more so because of the elder population of the Expats.  I may die here. That is why I have filled out paperwork at the Lake Chapala Society to help with the disposing of my body and all the other details that are left with the people who are left behind.

Everyone I know here has done that. If not, then things get extremely complicated and difficult. It is hard enough for those we love to have to deal with our passing without making it harder on them. Who wants to have to deal with the authorities?

 I encourage anyone who comes to live here to consider this problem. The Lake Chapala Society has made things very easy with this form. It costs less than thirty dollars to file it.  I know, thinking about our own deaths is not fun.  But if we live here, there is always the possibilty that we might die here too.

I saw a beautiful funeral a few years ago here where they took the ashes in a boat with a Mariachi singer onboard. They spread the ashes over the lake. I would like that for myself when the time comes.