Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Why end-of-life planning is so important

We'd like to share some excerpts of letters that Terry has received over the years from people who have bought her workbook...their stories might be your story, too.

"My sister and I are caring for our 89-year-old mother who's losing her memory, and we need to know what affairs to get in order. What a blessing to have a real check-list, instead of just floundering around from one crisis to another!"

"My middle-aged children, who think they will live forever, especially need your book. Several of them will fall in line to settle estates and perhaps with your book we'll see some things we've missed."

"I know I have waited too long to take care of these important matters and I feel your book will be a great place to start catching up. I have taken care of several issues, but need to be more diligent in tucking in the loose ends. My husband passed away very unexpectedly twenty years ago, and I found out too late that we had failed to cover all the matters. I don't want my children to be faced with this dilemma when I pass on."

"I lost my 42-year-old son three years ago and the things I went through will forever be in my mind. He had no will and lots of debt with his business. Fortunately I got referred to a good estate attorney who helped me take care of everything, so that I know in my heart that he didn't owe anything to anyone...which was what I needed to do for my son's memory."

"People must prepare. Our own tragedy is that our adult son thought he was too young at 43 to make a will and share all the financial details with his wife. When he was killed in an accident, she was left without a clue and could not find all the documents needed to be secure. Since he was a computer wizard, everything was kept there, but he didn't leave a trail of passwords so a lot of information is lost."


Monday, January 28, 2013

Making a splash!

www.poolandspa.com
Every day I try to make a splash. Not in the conventional way you might think. I do not go on stage and sing Broadway songs. I do not usually cook a fantastic gourmet meal for dinner. I do not dress in evening attire and greet my husband at the door.

Nope. Not me.

I go to the pool. All winter long to an outside pool. It is cold in the air but the pool is 82 degrees. Sometimes I go to water aerobic classes and sometimes I go to swim laps.The water classes are lots of fun with dancing, music and many friends.They last an hour and by the time we are done I am feeling pretty peppy. For an old gal.

I find the whole thing relaxing and it sure does help me move my joints. Even the artificial ones!

What kind of exercise do you do for yourself?

Monday, January 21, 2013

Do you allow yourself to start over each day?

My husband Jeff, in front of some people who inspire him
After watching the Inauguration of President Obama today, it occurred to me that we, as individuals, are always "starting over." I don't know about you, but when it comes to the New Year I have a feeling of freshness and a skip in my step.

I will go to the gym almost every day (although not today because I have laundry to do); I will make sure that I remember everyone's birthday (thank goodness Facebook is there to remind me of many); I will challenge myself to make all the exciting and new ideas that I have envisioned come true.

I do not know how I plan to accomplish any or all of the above. I do know that I feel the renewed sense of mission and will somehow find the will to do my best to succeed.

My children are independent and doing just fine. My grandchildren are flourishing and happy with their lives. My husband is retired and deserves to refresh and renew his interests as much as I do. We travel to places near and far and we enjoy the trips and the time we spend together.

We started as a married couple 45-1/2 years ago. Every day we got to start anew. Each day brought different thoughts and ideas to my mind and I tried to give them my energy and attention. It is not always possible, but I tried.

So today I am starting over again. Now I look to new and inspiring stories to guide me on my way. I think I can do this. How about you?