Death duties

They say no one should face death alone.

Why? Does it make you weak, or something? I'm having to face the fact that sometime soon, my husband may die, and I'll then have to face all the debt that will follow. I'll have to take out a bank loan to pay everyone off, like the Pensions people, or DWP. Then there's the rest of his care costs, for, as I understand from other people who have been through this, care costs at a nursing home or similar facility don't stop on the day your loved one dies. They continue to charge while they prepare the room for someone else to live in.

I don't know if there's a cap on the time taken to do that. I've been shafted enough times to know that if people can make money out of a situation, they'll use it for as long as they can. But, we'll see.

There will be no funeral. My husband hated the idea of me being saddled with those costs. But you have to put your loved one to rest somewhere. Nothing comes free! So I've decided what will happen. Direct funerals are offered, these days, where the body is cremated without anyone being there to see it happen. The person's ashes are sent to the family so they can plan a Memorial at some later time. I think that'll be the way to go.

See, death, as important a time as it is, is no less natural than anything else. My husband didn't 'do' emotions. He had no time for fripperies! A big send-off to him was a waste. "When you're dead, you're dead!" was his motto. I soon learned the hard way that I also had to put on a hard skin. No more wearing hearts on sleeves. There's no time for it. And it bores people.

I'm facing all of this alone. Obviously, I'll have to prepare for the inevitable: "Is there anyone I can call for you?" question. I really won't know how to answer that. If Utopia was a place, people would be clued up enough to not ask such a silly thing.

No, there's no one. I'm alone in this life, and I'll get on with the process of living.