An Ethical Will

 

Ramblings of a Retired Mind

An Ethical Will

A message of love, values, and legacy

In our faith, there is a tradition known as an Ethical Will — a letter of the heart, written not to distribute possessions, but to pass on values, lessons, love, and blessings to those we leave behind.

In recent years, I have spent time reflecting on my own life and on the lives of my children and grandchildren. Those reflections brought me back to a short letter my father left for me to find after his passing.

That letter was brief, but it was powerful. My father wanted me to know how proud he was of the man I had become. He wanted me to know that although he was gone, he hoped that, in some way, he would still be watching over his grandchildren and over my wife and me.

He wrote about the lessons he had learned in his life and about the importance of living with honesty, truth, and loyalty to the ideals of our faith. The letter was written after the passing of my mother, his wife of forty-eight years. He spoke of his deep love for her and how his life truly became whole when they married. He also spoke of the joy he felt in seeing how my wife had made me whole when we were wed.

He understood that while providing a home and financial support is important, emotional support and true partnership are just as meaningful. Without a loving partner, he believed that all the money in the world becomes hollow.

Now, as I approach the twenty-fifth year since his passing, I feel it is time to put my own thoughts on paper and write my Ethical Will for my children and grandchildren. I want to pass on what I have learned, and more importantly, to express my pride in you and my love for the people you have become. I will be writing a personal letter to each of you. Here, I wish to share the core beliefs that matter most to me.

On Love and Partnership

Cherish those who cherish you. Your partner is the singular most important person in your world. When two become one, they do not lose themselves — they become whole.

Until I met Mom, I was moving through life without a true destination. When we became whole, I found my reason for being. From that moment on, there would never be a day when I felt truly alone, lost, or without meaning. Mom gave me purpose, gave me reason, and gave me hope for the future. For that, I will always be grateful.

On Family and Legacy

With the birth of our son and our daughter, we found our legacy and our eternal place in the universe. Our purpose became larger than ourselves: to pass on to our children our ethics, our values, and the strength of those who came before us.

Through you — my children and my grandchildren — our lives will go on long after we have left this earth. What we teach, how we love, and how we live will echo through generations.

A Final Promise

I am committed to writing a personal letter to each of you while I am still here and able to do so. I do this not out of obligation, but out of love.

My new mantra is this: Never put off today what cannot be done tomorrow. Love should be spoken while it can still be heard. Pride should be shared while it can still be felt. Blessings should be given while hands can still be held.

May you always know how deeply you are loved.
May you live with honesty, kindness, faith, and courage.
And may you always remember that you are never alone — you carry all of us with you.