Did Thanksgiving sneak up on you this year? It sure did for me. I loved hearing family traditions and expressions of gratitude from many of you. I SWEAR Thanksgiving was a whole week earlier, which caught me a bit off guard in terms of the fall holiday season. Something else caught me off guard this fall, which has thrown me for a loop. In late September, I got some medical news which caused a bit of angst while we figured things out. As it turns out, I have a brain tumor.

This diagnosis caused all sorts of emotions, as you might imagine. My mind's thoughts ran the gamut from, I'm okay, I can handle this, to facing the possibility of my demise. Some days, I was cool as a cucumber, others I was a puddle.

One thing this diagnosis did is kick me into gear to take care of some of the things I had been putting off. The startling news prodded me to make sure my affairs are in order. Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? It had been a long time since my will had been updated. Things have changed in my life. I'm still married to the same great guy and we still have a great child. But she's an adult now, no longer a minor. I'm now a Montanan. I have another great guy in my life, my grandson, Soloman. Since my will was last updated, my mom has passed away, and my dad has remarried. I've sold real property and acquired new property. My plans for the people and property and the place that I care about have changed. I need to make sure things are in order.

My grandmother used to tell me, "none of us are getting out of this world alive" and she's right. It's important to me to make sure the people I care about, the plans for my property, especially some of the family heirlooms, go where I want them to go.

Lucky for me, this golf ball sized tumor is a regrowth of a tumor I had removed 14 years ago. Also lucky for me, I live during an era when medicine is pretty darned advanced. I've elected to have this little guy surgically removed, which means I'll be out of the office from late December through February. Surgery is scheduled for December 20. My goal is TO NOT be emailing from my hospital bed the day after surgery this time. I plan to rest and recover fully before returning to work. So, this will be my last Infinity article until March.

Have you thought about your plans? Has it been a while since you've updated your will? Do you have a will? I was shocked to learn 7 in 10 Montanans don't have a will. Whether you have a will or not, the state has a plan for your estate. Don't wait for a major jolting life event to get your affairs in order. Take the time to think through the unpleasant "what ifs" and make your plan. Your loved ones will appreciate you even more for taking care of this important task.