Ok it’s time for some real talk. We’re going to talk about something that’s a bit hard to think about. What happens if something happens to you? Will your loved ones know what to do?
I know. I know. We just met. But let me be the friend who says the hard stuff. I highly recommend checking out Legal Zoom ( https://www.legalzoom.com ) for all the answers to the questions you don’t want to ask. I’ve got a few real life stores to share along with the lessons we can take from them.
When I was in my late twenties a friend from my church was in a serious accident which left him on life support. Few people think to prepare for this so not only were his parent’s left to mourn his accident and all that came with it, they were also left to make the decision of whether or not to take him off life support.
On the flip side, my grandparents paid for their funerals and had living wills in place, and while it was still hard when they passed, it brought me so much peace knowing that we were following their wishes.
So for starters, if you’re over 18, you should probably have a living will in place. What’s a living will? Legal Zoom describes it as “a way to make your healthcare wishes known now in case you’re unable to communicate them later.” You can also appoint someone to make financial decisions on your behalf in case you’re unable to make them yourself.
Now, for the parents in the group, I was at dinner with a friend the other day when she told me the tragic story of something that happened to one of her friends. Her friend’s sister and brother-in-law died in a plane crash on a puddle jumper while on vacation leaving behind their 10 and 12 year old children. To make matters worse there was confusion about their wishes for their children as this was something they never discussed with their families.
If you’re a parent, and I say this with love, I truly believe that you should have a Last Will and Testament in place. Legal Zoom says a Last Will and Testament defines “what happens to your property and who raises your children.” I know. This is not a fun topic, but let’s be smart and make the hard decisions right now so that we and our loved ones are taken care of in case of an emergency.
Please consider checking out Legal Zoom to see what you need. I am not being paid for this opinion, I’ve just seen both situations play out, and I speak from experience when I say these are some of the most loving decisions you can make for those who love you.
Simply completing this one thing this month is sure to add peace to your new year!
XOXO, Kylie