The Inevitable Death and Taxes

Death is the final chapter in each person’s life, It is the one thing that is certain .Only Enoch and Elijah avoided death and were taken up into heaven. So, why am I writing about that? It’s not a subject that people like to contemplate, nor are taxes. What has me thinking on these things?

Saturday I received in the mail, the return of my money from Uncle Sam. I found my income tax check nestled in my mailbox and caused me to rethink a recent story I have been planning to share with you all.

I keep most of my bills waiting to be paid in one spot, but I always kept my local spring and fall taxes in another spot because they were to be paid much later. Well, I forgot and last year’s real estate taxes went unpaid. I recently paid them with the penalties. It wasn’t a major burden because I had money set aside for them and didn’t understand why it seemed I had a “surplus” of money in my checking account. I just thought I was being a good steward.

I told my kids that I blamed my deceased wife Cindy for not paying my taxes. She passed away fourteen years ago, but her habit of holding onto money until the last minute before paying our bills rubbed off on me. She would often wait to send the payment until the check and new bill would cross paths in the mail. I had to blame someone for forgetting I hadn’t paid my taxes. It certainly couldn’t be me.

There are those who don’t know me and will think I am completely mad for blaming her, but they don’t understand that I have a nurse’s warped sense of humor. It allows me to look at many things that should be upsetting or sad and smiling, even death and taxes.