Recently I heard the news about the death of Bryan Turner, a 32-year-old man from Vancouver who died while participating in an extreme sport event. By all accounts, he sounds as if he was a wonderful man with a strong social conscience and a zest for life.
The reason I mention Mr. Turner's passing here is that he left a letter for his friends, telling them what he wanted in the event of his death. While I haven't seen the letter, CBC News reports that the letter instructed his friends to use his death to help fight poverty. Read the CBC News story here. The letter may or may not be a will; it may simply be an informal message for his friends. However it does express Mr. Turner's wishes that his friends carry on the work he was doing during his lifetime.
It's unusual for men or women in their early 30s to have a will. However, Mr. Turner's passing shows that a person of any age can pass away, and that making your wishes known is important for people of all ages. Certainly we don't all play extreme sports that are inherently dangerous, but any of us could be involved in a car accident or house fire.
An added side benefit of Mr. Turner's thoughtful letter is that it gives his family and friends something to focus on besides the grief of losing him. He has left them a positive task to think about.
The attached photo of an unidentified BASE jumper accompanied the CBC News article and is credited to Chris McNaught/Wikimedia Commons.
The attached photo of an unidentified BASE jumper accompanied the CBC News article and is credited to Chris McNaught/Wikimedia Commons.
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