It’d be just your luck.

You’re outside, enjoying a nice sunny day and, like Wile E. Coyote, a piano falls on your head. Or a car crashes through the wall, onto your bed. Or tree-climbing wasn’t such a good idea. Stuff happens, and “In Case You Get Hit by a Bus” by Abby Schneiderman and Adam Seifer, with Gene Newman, helps your family to know what to do.

Why is it that the document you need is never where it’s supposed to be?

That’s bad for you, so imagine if a loved one was looking for that document in panic-mode. That’s the kind of thing Schneiderman and Seifer are trying to stave off in this book: as the founders of Everplans, they know that saving all your information in one place is “liberating” and comforting. And it’s not that hard to do…

First, in every step inside this book, give yourself ten minutes and don’t stress. Start by looking for the fifteen documents you’ll need most often, scan them, and decide on the most convenient, best place to store them (hint: it’s probably not in a safe deposit box). Then think hard: include all your most important passwords, safe combinations, and 4-digit codes in your documentation; you want to make it as easy as possible for a loved one to find any appropriate information, in an emergency.

Remembering your time-limit, mind-walk yourself through your home and write down anything that someone might need to know: alarm codes, maintenance schedules, garbage day, and the names and contacts for repair contractors. While you’re doing this, you’ll inevitably think about the kids and your pets, so keep a running list of don’t-forgets for them, too.

Document your doctors, insurance policies, and benefits you’re entitled to receive. Note your Power of Attorney (POA) and medical POA. Name an executor. If you’re a business owner, make a succession plan. And finally, remove the skeletons from your closet while you can.

One way or another, you’ll be glad you did.

Eventually.

Eventually, you’ll be glad you did everything that’s inside this book, but doing so will take a year’s worth of 10-minute sessions. Indeed, “In Case You Get Hit by a Bus” doesn’t overlook any part of American life, in an effort to ensure that your anxiety is eased some.

Authors Schneiderman, Seifer, and Newman do a completely thorough job with that, and they admit up-front that not everything is mandatory. This lends a sense of “ahhhhhhh” right away; if you don’t have Document X, don’t sweat. Still, hints on how to find the top fifteen most-needed docs and a few more worksheets might’ve been nice.

Be scared by reading “The Big Close-Out.” Be comforted by skipping directly to tips on memory-making. Use what you need here; flexibility is key to Everplans’ plans and to this book, and you know how many What-Ifs you’ve thought about in the past year.

Now, you’ll always think about them. And since you’ll need a book like “If You Get Hit by a Bus,” you’re in luck.

“In Case You Get Hit by a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You’re Not Around Later” by Abby Schneiderman and Adam Seifer with Gene Newman
c.2021, Workman Publishing
$17.95 / $23.95 Canada
244 pages