Monday, February 8, 2010

What Is Left Behind

There are stories that are not mine to tell.

There are subjects that need to be addressed, no matter how uncomfortable they make me.

I pay attention when these two categories cross paths because that rarely happens.

When a story is not mine, I keep it to myself.  When a burning topic makes me uncomfortable, I find a way to write about part of it, or I find a personal perspective that makes it palatable.

This time there is no such shortcut.

A dear friend of mine is living with what remains after a tragic loss.  She was removed from the situation, but now she is at the center.

With the grace of an angel, my friend has stepped into the eye of the storm to calm the fears and soothe the hurts.

With the wisdom of ten women, my friend is organizing the chaos and making sense of the randomness.

When I asked how I can help, she asked only for my prayers.

When I asked what I can do, she asked me to do two things.

First ~
Send out the word to everyone you know...if they don't have a will in place, make one before the end of the month.  If they do, be sure it's current.

Ken and I had wills drawn up in 1991.  Some event spurred us into action, although I don't remember exactly what happened.  Our main concerns were assigning guardianship for our children and designating someone to handle the finances.  Today our children are adults so we need to revisit the provisions we made and evaluate if they still fit our family's needs.

Second ~
Keep things [paperwork, files, accounts] organized in case anyone needs to come in and pick up the pieces for you.  Pass it on and save a family's agony.

Some of you may remember that I have been working to streamline my family's accounts since last summer.  It has been a process of trial and error.  I realized that we need to have the online option to view and pay bills, as well as the monthly statements that come in the mail.  Each family is different, but that is what works best for Ken and me.  I want to invest in one fireproof lock box that will hold the legal papers so that everything is in one place.  In general terms I have talked with my children to show them where things are but, as is true with the rest of us, this will take more than one run-through and regular updates.

These are not easy topics to talk about.  

If we don't talk about it, who will? 

If we don't take care of it now, who will have to pick up the pieces after we're gone?

There are hard questions that may not have easy answers.  We can start simply and work our way through the process, one step at a time.  
 
Each journey begins with a single step.   

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Such an uncomfortable and brave topic. Your friend is right. As I make plans for my husband and myself to fly to Cancun on Thursday, fleeting thoughts of what if made their way into my head the other day. Not what you want to think about before a sunny getaway and yet. . .
Thank you for being the light that your friend wants so much for others to see. She is wise and a valuable friend to want to spare others such trouble on top of their sorrows.
Peace~
Dawn

patti said...

Wow! Topic that SHOULD be more readily addressed, just like dying and how you choose to do it.

I LOVE this site!!!
Patti

Anonymous said...

This is excellent advice, Sharon. I have a couple of friends who were suddenly widowed, and they had to learn, the hard way, how to take care of bills, important documents and papers, etc. Watching them, I realized it's not right for my husband to handle all the bills for our family, and that I needed to know where all those papers, are, etc. We now take care of the family business together, including the bills, etc. And yes, we do have updated wills! Good post.

Joanne said...

Definitely a topic we don't like to visit too often, basically because of what it means has happened if we or our loved ones are in this situation. A difficult thought to face. But wise advice to leave order behind, easing the journey for those behind us.

CaShThoMa said...

Sensible. Sensible. Sensible. Yet, so often ignored. I need to look again at our last will and testament too; especially since our children are grown.

mermaid said...

May your friend stand in the eye of the storm as best she can with much support when she does get blown around.

I totally agree with the will. I've also asked all my family to come up with advanced directives (end of life decisions regarding how much medical intervention they desire to keep them alive).

Laura said...

Sharon,
Thank you for posting this. It is hugely important for all of us, things we all know we must attend to and always seem to end up on the back burner.

I'm so sorry for all that your friend must be going through at this time. How fortunate she is to have you in her life right now when she needs your comfort and compassionate listening heart.