How to
How to write a legacy letter (or an ethical will)
A legacy letter is not a will. It leaves values, not property. It is two to five pages, it is usually written late, and it is the thing families keep longest.
What goes in
What you believe and how you came to believe it. What you are grateful for. What you hope for each person, by name. One or two stories that explain who you are. Anything you want forgiven, or to forgive. What you would like to be remembered for.
How to write it
Say it out loud first, to a recorder, answering the questions for someone who is dying (they are the right questions for anyone writing this). Then write from the transcript. Keep your sayings. Keep it short.
When to give it
Now, if you can. A legacy letter read together at a kitchen table is better than one found in a drawer. If not now, leave it where it will be found, with the will.
Start asking: questions to ask for this book.