By Daryl Ashley
Confusion Solution
On August 11, my 96 year old mom passed away. My sister and her daughter were tasked with making funeral arrangements and distributing whatever property was left behind. Mom had a will, but there were a great many specifics that needed to be dealt with. That being said, they created a loving and respectful celebration of life event for family and friends to remember her.
This amazing situation was a result of my mom’s decision to discuss her desires well in advance of her passing. Not only did she leave a will, she had made arrangements in a more personal way for all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She prepared documents that expressed her wishes, put stickers on the backs of things she owned with the name of the person she felt would want them, and she assigned someone to make sure everything would be taken care of. Just knowing what she wanted made making decisions much easier.
Because things change daily whether they are changes in relationships, travel, entertainment, or work, we have no way of knowing what is to come. It’s never healthy for us to dwell on the unexpected, but we do have the opportunity to give some thought, at least once in our lifetime, about how our passing may impact those we love. In my line of work, I have experienced too many situations where loved ones left so much behind that it became difficult to make final decisions. It is sad that sometimes our loved ones feel enabled to take things, causing ill will and uncomfortable discussions about final arrangements.
It’s your wishes that will eliminate discord in the family during this highly emotional time that we will also face ourselves someday. Making a will is the expression of our desires for the distribution of our property and assigning someone to be responsible to handle those desires. Establishing a relationship with a funeral home makes sure everyone understands what comes next.
I know this is not something we like to think about, but taking the time to assess your wishes now will result in the knowledge that you are giving your loved ones less confusion and more time to honor your memory.
It’s as simple as that!
Send your questions and comments to me at info@confusionsolution.com
