The In-Between

 

Oh, where to start. 

We left Washington after one more sweet day in Vancouver with our kids and baby Valerie and headed to Boise. My sister met me up there to close a final chapter. 

My folks have had storage units as long as I can remember, like seriously. that long. We tried to help them over the years get rid of the stuff but to no avail. Now that Momma's gone and Dad's in Tennessee full time, we decided it was time to close that chapter and be done. 

I have so many thoughts rolling around my brain. Trying to decide what to write about this finally being done. Some of its too painful to write as of yet, some if it so thankful we never have to go through this again, and some if it is saying goodbye to mom all over again. It's really hard on children to have to make decisions that should have been made by their parents. 

So listen up- don't leave this earth unprepared and don't leave this earth with a hot mess for your children to navigate. It's not that hard people.

Get a trust

Get a will

TALK to your children about what you want, write it down and have it ready for the time you die or get ill.

Give away those special family treasures while you're in your right mind.  Enjoy watching your kids wear that ring or open that book or use a favorite dish that they always wanted. GIVE IT TO THEM or it may find its way to Goodwill when they're having to quickly make decisions. 

I am so thankful for the few treasures I have from Mom and Dad. The beautiful white country dishes they gave me a few years back, the ring that Dad gave Mom on their 10th wedding anniversary, the deer print that hung up in our home when I was tiny. And I know good and well that I can't take any of it with me to heaven, and anyone who knows me, knows my motto is Simplicity. But I am also a person who loves deeply and some of this love is shared through a memory attached to something we physically own. It brings back to mind a sweet time in our life. So why not share that with your kids now and enjoy seeing them celebrate a memory that means something to you both. 

Have your financial house in order. Do not be foolish and think, "Oh they will be fine. They can do what they want when I die." It does not work that way. It's YOUR responsibility to be prepared, and then to SHARE that information with your children. Saying goodbye is already so hard, why on earth do people burden their kids with figuring out all the details to YOUR life?  The last gift you give your kids is gift of preparedness. So don't be lazy and do it. And don't think, "Oh that's private, they don't need to know about our finances." Umm, yes they do. And should. The good, the bad, the ugly. And I'm not just talking to the older people here. I'm talking to young families too. Be prepared.

We do a financial overview with our kids each year. We send them a document, so they know what and where to find everything. Now that we moved, it's time for a refresher. We will update everything and share that with them. Ta da. It's that easy. My husband is super organized, and this is one area he's gifted. If that's not you, then find someone who is and ask them to help you. Just do it, stop waiting for tomorrow. 

So this post is less about the hard time my sister and I had clearing out our folk's storage and more about how to do it right.

Don't be foolish, be prepared and then for God's sake, share it with your children. You will die one day, we all will. Make it a little easier on them. 

Thanks for listening,

Tuna Jones