My dad sent me his estate document before I was ready to face it. I was glad he had when he died unexpectedly months later.

• When my dad sent me an email with the subject line, "Estate info," I cringed. • But when my dad got ill just months later, the file became crucial. • Creating a "when I die doc" is a powerful gift for those we leave behind.

When an email from my dad with the subject line "Estate Info" popped into my mailbox, I cringed.

My parents have been transparent about their estate planning for a long time — perhaps partially because when I was in my 20s, my younger brother died unexpectedly, and I became their only surviving child. When I was in my 30s and starting a family of my own, my parents even invited me to a planning meeting with their estate attorney.

Unfortunately, I needed it just a few months later, when my dad died 10 days after being diagnosed with cancer.

My dad chose his inh