If a python eats a pig, the huge lumpy meal can be visually tracked as it makes its way through the comparatively slender body of the snake. Some baby boomers, those born between 1943 and 1964, may not be aware of this, but we are the pig in the python. I am a boomer and as our segment of the population moves through life, our needs, desires and evolving beliefs and commitments not only shape our lives, but the lives of those around us and the economy as a whole.

A 1948 Newsweek magazine article titled “Babies Mean Business” put the world on alert that the baby boomer demographic would be the largest consumers of services and products and that marketers would be well advised to advertise directly to this generation. Additionally, with so many same age and ostensibly like-minded peers, this generation could band together and form cohesive strategies to remedy the “wrongs” of the world.

For six decades boomers have dominated not only the economy, but the political and cultural landscapes, as well. Things have, indeed, changed. Smoking cigarettes is out — medical marijuana is in. Formal religious observance is dropping, spirituality is growing. Woodstock, the Beatles and Bob Dylan changed the face of music.

Death — the final frontier — has also changed. Far too many boomers have been witness to a parent’s or a partner’s deterioration into mental or physical incapacity and felt helpless either because the parent or partner did not share their wishes and desires regarding end of life care or due to the fact that the means by which we could ease the suffering and pain was either unavailable or illegal.

Boomers want a good life and, when it is done, pull the plug. Boomers want to live well, we are not interested in enduring pain or prolonged suffering and, unless there is a way to give us that good life again, most boomers want a smooth exit. Palliative care has come to the forefront and boomers are the early adopters. We do not want to suffer — even if it may hasten the moment of death.

Choosing death over suffering is a top priority for boomers as evidenced by the passage of laws legalizing aid in dying in Vermont, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Hawaii, New Jersey and Colorado. In 2016, California enacted such a law which we call the End of Life Option Act. Despite having such a law on the books, using it can be challenging. The individual must have received a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of six months or less. They must make three separate requests for the aid-in-dying medication, a consulting physician must determine that the individual is qualified to receive the aid-in-dying medication and the individual must have mental capacity.

If we cannot qualify for the aid-in-dying or if for some reason we decline to use this method, a “good death” is still achievable. It is all about planning, communication and support. Boomers can, using an Advance Health Care Directive document, make thoughtful decisions about end-of-life care, commit those choices to writing and task a friend or loved one with making sure those wishes are followed. By having frank and honest conversations with medical care providers, family and friends, boomers can state their wishes clearly and, by doing so, retain control over the outcome.

In life, as in death, we — the pigs in the python — continue to seek reformation of the landscape. Here’s to living a full, independent life and, when our time to exit arrives, taking care of it on our own terms.

Liza Horvath has over 30 years of experience in the estate planning and trust fields and is the president of Monterey Trust Management, a financial and trust Management Company. This is not intended to be legal or tax advice. If you have a question call (831) 646-5262 or email liza@montereytrust.com