We’re all going to die. That’s not alarmist or pessimistic—just a fact. One day, life ends. Death is part of being human, but not something most people want to discuss. We avoid thinking about our own mortality, often putting off important final decisions until it’s too late.
You Only Die Once takes a surprisingly lighthearted approach to this serious topic, demystifying end-of-life arrangements with poignant and humorous personal stories. With longtime counselor Margie Jenkins’s gentle guidance, you’ll travel the “planning paths” you’ve avoided for so long.
Jenkins helps you prepare your will and estate, decide where your cherished possessions go, and determine whether you need an advanced care directive. Should you wish it, you’ll even discover how to preplan your own funeral or memorial service.
Along the way, Jenkins offers hope for survivors and practical tips on how to handle a loved one’s death or sudden medical crisis. Most importantly, perhaps, you’ll come to realize that by making choices now, you transform death into the culmination of a life well-lived—rather than an unplanned and unexpected event.
After all, we only die once. Why not make sure you do it right?

You Only Die Once: Preparing for the End of Life with Grace and Gusto

Jenkins, Margie

Parenting & Relationships

Patio Press

One day life ends, and though you don’t know when you’ll die, you can prepare yourself and your loved ones by creating a personalized end-of-life plan and do it right—and with the help of this lighthearted workbook, you might even enjoy the process!!
Written by ninety-two-year-old author and psychotherapist Margie Jenkins, who shares her own poignant and entertaining stories throughout, this guide assists you in personalizing your plan by providing checklists, easy-to-fill-out forms, and questions to consider.
By exploring your options now regarding medical procedures, burial details, and the like, you can make wiser decisions without the complications of frenzied emotional stress. Additionally, this planner inspires you to reflect on your memories and accomplishments, writing them down both for posterity’s sake and to motivate you to use whatever time you have left to keep pursuing a full and joyous life.
A companion to Jenkins’s You Only Die Once, this invaluable workbook helps you experience your life as a gift and goes on to bless your loved ones when your end finally arrives.

My Personal Planner: For Use with the Book, You Only Die Once

Self-Help

Death & Grief

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Patio Press publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Patio Press

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Patio Press publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

You Only Die Once: Preparing for the End of Life with Grace and Gusto

My Personal Planner: For Use with the Book, You Only Die Once