Disappearing act

From Imagination Prompt:

If you disappeared today, who would be affected?

Now I've got to figure out my importance to other people -- which goes against the grain, as I'm not big on tooting my own horn. To be honest, I don't think it would affect anybody other than my immediate family --and not so sure it would affect them long-term. There might be a few other folks here and there who would be a wee bit sad and who might miss me for a little while but, otherwise, no -- I'm just an average person, living my average life.

Let's see, how would my disappearance affect my children? Well, probably not as much today as it would have when they were small. But, then again, maybe a young girl of 17 needs a mother more than ever. My eldest is out on her own so she doesn't need me -- not in the strictest sense of the word. My son is in a different world entirely -- not sure if that's because he's a male or because he's in college or because he's just got other fish to fry. I think they would all grieve but then they'd get on with their lives (as they should).

My husband? Oh, he'd go to pieces. Absolute pieces. But I don't think he could live alone for very long -- I've requested that he have a respectable period of mourning first. And to always listen to his children if they have concerns about a wicked stepmother. And to make sure that anything they are supposed to inherit already has their name on it. No, I'm not planning on going anywhere but you never know. I've heard about too many people my age dropping dead lately not to give it a passing thought.

In the day to day sense, the person who'd be affected the most would be my mother. She is nearly 85 and still lives alone but I am her primary caregiver. I'm not sure what would happen but I feel sorry for whoever has to deal with it.

Now, the real question is if you disappeared not if you died. But I think someone disappearing opens up a whole other can of worms. Then loved ones would spend their lives wondering where and why -- and living in limbo. That, I think, is probably worse than knowing someone is dead.

But don't think I haven't thought about it.

Haven't you?