Like most American sports enthusiasts, I have spent a large number of hours over the years watching Sports Center and other programming on ESPN, so when Stuart Scott died this past weekend, it came as a blow. I had no particular connection to him, nor do I put TV broadcasters in my pantheon of heroes. Still, like neighbors, people who are on TV for so many years become familiar figures and you can't help feeling like you "know" them somehow. Thus it was with Stuart Scott.
And, of course, it is more sad when someone dies young (age 49) and leaves behind two young daughters. So many Americans are touched, often brutally, by cancer (and other diseases). Perhaps that includes your family. It has certainly has touched mine. My mother died of cancer at the age of 61, my father died of ALS at the age of 70 and my sister died from Lupus and kidney failure at the age of 51. I think of all of them almost every day. The best legacy is one that leaves those behind remembering the departed.
However, as an estate planning attorney, I also understand the practical side of these tragic deaths. It is important for every person, especially those with young children, to plan legally, practically and effectively. None of us know when our time is over, but one of the best gifts we can give our loved ones is a roadmap to follow after we are gone.
Watching ESPN these last few days has been tough for me, and I am sure for many others as well.
Take care and give your loved ones a hug tonight.