One of my favorite assignments I have ever done in college was writing an ethical will for my intro to ethics class back in 2017. An ethical will is like a standard will but instead of leaving material possessions behind, you leave behind moral and ethical values. I highly encourage you all write one, as I found it of great joy and I do not even have kids. So here I present you what I wrote when I was 22 years of age.
To my kin,
If you are reading this, I have passed away. Please do not be sad, but rather celebrate my existence. I will always be a part of you and your memories, but I do have some final words for you.
First and foremost, no matter your current and future circumstances, your failures, your struggles, know that I love you dearly. You are my children and each of you carry a piece of my livelihood. To not love you would mean I do not love myself, and that is unacceptable. Aside from my unconditional affection, do not ever let yourself go without self-love. As a human being, your existence is a true beauty in this universe. Your life was brought about from an unfathomable amount of chain reactions over the course of billions of years. You are a miracle product of our magnificent galaxy. However, as incredible as you are, your time on this planet as a human is short, and as your father, I want you living a life full of joy and well-being. I can’t tell you how to live your lives but I can tell you how I lived mine. If you are anything like your old man, then you have stared into the stars at night wondering what is the meaning of life. It’s a fun question to ponder, but it’s a trivial one. What matters most is creating your own meaning. There is meaning everywhere in life, and I made it a mission to create meaningful moments everywhere I went. Even something as simple as gazing into a beautiful sunset and thinking to myself that that same exact sunset will never happen again brought great joy to me. The fact that I got to experience that unique moment in history is a true pleasure full of meaning. Another way to craft a life full of meaning is by always striving to learn and educate yourselves. Just as the universe expands eternally, so should your minds. Self-growth is one of the most admirable things because when you can constantly grow, you can constantly give to those in need. Since I have devoted my time to education, life has improved tremendously. It always amazes me how helpful a single piece of information can be, and each and every day is an opportunity to learn something that can help the world. Lastly, in order for yourselves and the world to experience the joy of a meaningful life, you must live in a manner that helps foster conditions capable of supporting that. That manner is advocating for peace, love, and positivity in every aspect of life including yourselves, others, and our planet. That is how I lived my life and it led me to a peaceful transition into the death. It is dangerous to go into your final days without creating meaning in your life. Knowing that your life is coming to end without purpose must be troubling. On the contrary, I had peace of mind knowing that I played my part in our universe. A big part of that was my love for you, my children. Thank you for being part of my journey. Now go live your lives.
Love, Dad
Cosmic Latte 