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| Madeline Colthorpe, Receptionist |
Let’s face it: estate planning isn’t the
best dinnertime conversation. What
better way to destroy a delicious meal than to discuss the passing of the ones
you love? So maybe this discussion
doesn’t have to happen during dinner, but it does need to happen. Although we try to avoid thinking about it,
we aren’t going to be around forever.
For many of us, that means leaving behind family and loved ones – people
who we would hate to know are fighting someday after our death as a result of
the money or possessions we left behind.
Growing up, I had so many fond memories of
my grandparents’ house. Memories of
Easter egg hunts in the backyard, Friday night hamburger dinners, crabbing in
the canal, and eating Klondike bars while sitting contently in the presence of
those I loved. Then, my grandmother, an
eighty-year-old woman who still push-mowed her lawn, fell unexpectedly and left
us without even a chance to say goodbye.
What I realize now that I’m older is that she also left us without
having the opportunity to discuss her estate planning documents with her
children. My grandmother passed away
nine years ago, but my family is still feeling the impact of this missed
discussion today. Although no one would
come right out and say it, there is tension in the family that was never there
before. Friday night hamburger dinners
are now a thing of the past. Even worse,
no one makes an effort to see one another over the holidays anymore.
Long story short, be proactive. Although it’s not comfortable, sit your
family down and discuss your estate planning documents – talk about how money
is going to be divided and what precious possessions, such as jewelry, are
going to go to whom. The passing of a
loved one is stressful enough; don’t add to the stress by having this emotional
time be the first time your children hear of your decisions.
