Month: October 2016

A friend and business associate recently made me aware of another important piece to add to all your estate and wishes information… the pictures you want used for any services or announcements about you. My friend had to go through her pictures, due to water damage in a storage area. In doing so she had the insight to pull the pictures together SHE WANTED to be used, after her passing, so family members would not have to scramble to find them.

Just having pictures and memorabilia pulled together by family member, makes it easier later to pull them out to use when planning a celebration or significant event. They do not have to be in date order, just PULLED TOGETHER and placed in watertight containers. The water tight containers that The Container Store carries are perfect for the job.
When a long time client of mine passed away recently, the family was able to go to all the pictures and memorabilia I had pulled together for her, distributing the children/grandchildren’s precious containers to each, but also finding the pictures needed for the various services and announcements. It brought ease to a difficult time and time enjoying the contents rather than frustration trying to find what was needed.

Doing a picture/memorabilia project can be time consuming, so just start with the sort. Adding dates and placing in a particular order can be Phase 2 of the project free project planning software. Put the pictures of yourself and/or significant other(s) in an envelope and place them with your estate documents indicating those are the pictures YOU WANT used.

In my travels the past few months, to help family and work with clients… and just to enjoy parts of our gorgeous country and Canada, I am asked continually about downsizing and getting vital estate documents in order (wills, trusts, financial and healthcare directives, etc Related Site.). I’ll reflect on downsizing at another time… for now I want to note the importance of not waiting until you are (perceived) older/old to take care of, and get in order, those most important vital estate documents.

Your estate documents are essential, but what I find not focused on are birth certificates, marriage and divorce papers and the all important “Letter of Wishes.” Your “Letter of Wishes” is a vital document attached to your estate documents that contains your burial wishes, how you want your personal effects to be distributed, a list of people to notify and all your bank, credit card, investment, insurance, property and social security information, to name a few. That information is what will help guide your executor and/or trustee to handle your wishes in the manner YOU WANT them handled.

Attaching your “Letter of Wishes” to your estate documents and making sure your executor and/or trustee are aware of it is of utmost importance.