Sally has been found dead

My neighbor Sally was found dead this afternoon. I didn’t really know her. I stay to myself and don’t really know my neighbors well. I have been praying regarding my own life and family. Whenever it knows I always feel dread… I didn’t know that Sally had passed during our last blizzard. Today the sun came out and we were all busily cleaning up after the storm. Someone noticed that Sally was not out and about. The authorities were called and sure enough she had passed as the snow fell. She’s been gone for days.

I don’t know how I feel. I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to do. Was it just her time? Did she do something to herself? When I worked as a letter carrier it was something that we were warned about in this area. We were told that during winter storms, whole families were found unalived. The snow and isolation brings despair and hopelessness so we were admonished to stay watchful. Taking a job like delivering the mail is so much more than just delivering the right letters to the right address.

It’s not a job I will ever do again and I am grateful. A lot has to be done now:

• Local authorities such as the police or coroner’s office must be notified of the death.
• Confirmation of the identity of the deceased must be made.
• Locate any potential next of kin or relatives.
• Public Notice: If no relatives are found, public notices should be published to try to locate any potential heirs.
• Probate Court: The case is brought to the probate courts, where an administrator is appointed to manage the deceased’s estate if they have any assets such as bank accounts, vehicles, and property.
• Estate Management: The administrator will inventory the deceased’s assets, settle any debts, and distribute any remaining assets according to state laws.
• Funeral Arrangements: If no family members are available to make arrangements, the state or county may cover the cost of a basic funeral or cremation. I think Sally will be cremated as she has been gone for days and there can not be a viewing of her body at a funeral.
• Distribution of Assets: If there are no heirs the estate may revert to the state – meaning the state takes ownership of Sally’s assets.

Each state has specific laws governing these processes, so it’s important to consult local legal authorities or a probate attorney for guidance.

• “The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living.”
• “Only the forgotten are truly dead.”
• “The dead could only speak through the mouths of those left behind, and through the signs they left scattered behind them.”
• “To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only the truth.”
• “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
• “By becoming deeply aware of our mortality, we intensify our experience of every aspect of life” – Robert Greene

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Time To Say Goodbye (English Version)

Song by

Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman

Quando sono solo sogno all’orizzonte
E mancan le parole
Si lo so che non c’ luce
In una stanza quando manca il sole
Se non ci sei tu con me, con me

Su le finestre
Mostra a tutti il mio cuore che hai accesso
Chiudi dentro me
La luce che hai incontrato per strada

Time to say goodbye paesi che non ho mai
Veduto e vissuto con te adesso si li vivro
Con te partiro su navi per mari che, io lo so
No, no, non esistono piu, it’s time to say goodbye

Quando sei lontana sogno all’orizzonte
E mancane le parole
E io s lo so che sei con me, con me
Tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
Mio sole tu sei qui con me, con me, con me, con me

Time to say goodbye paesi che non ho mai
Veduto e vissuto con te adesso s li vivro
Con te partiro su navi per mari che, io lo so
No, no, non esistono piu con te io li rivivro

Con te partiro su navi per mari che, io lo so
No, no, non esistono pi con te io li rivivro
Con te partiro

Io con te

Songwriters: Francesco Sartori, Lucio Quarantotto, Frank Peter. For non-commercial use only.

Rest in Peace Sally

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Another snow storm is in the forecast…