MY INSPIRATION

 A couple of years ago, my mother and my younger sister died within six weeks of each other. Both were ill and so, while it was not a total surprise, it was still overwhelming. In a short period of time, my older sister and I had to handle their funeral arrangements and their estates. It was a real contrast between the one person who had planned for it and the one who had not. 

My mom had fully planned for her death and had written down her burial and memorial wishes. She had all her financial information neatly organized. She had estate documents and a list of which of her children should inherit her most sentimental and valuable belongings. My younger sister was not able to do much planning. She simply was not able to contemplate her death. Perhaps because she had beat the odds for so long, she just didn’t believe she would die young of ovarian cancer. My older sister and I were able to figure out both estates, but it would have been a lot easier if our sister had recorded her passwords and contact information for her friends and other key people. 

It is a real act of kindness to make things easier for your loved ones by gathering ahead of time all the information they will need to handle your final arrangements and your estate. 

I use the Lotus Flower as my professional symbol because to me it evokes a peaceful feeling. This is the feeling I hope my clients will have when we have completed their Peace of Mind Planner.

I took this photo of the lotus flower on a family visit to Southeast Asia.