Be in the Room Where It Happens: Independence, Freedom, and End-of-Life Planning
With Independence Day on the horizon, my social media feed has been filled with clips from the musical Hamilton—and I’m not mad about it. I love that show.
One of the most memorable songs is “The Room Where It Happens,” where Aaron Burr sings about being left out of a secret meeting that changed the course of American history. The scene describes a real dinner in 1790 between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Over food and wine, they struck a bargain: Jefferson and Madison would support Hamilton’s financial plan, and in return, Hamilton would advocate for placing the capital on the banks of the Potomac. The deal shaped the nation's future—but it happened behind closed doors.
Burr’s frustration isn’t just political—it’s personal. He wasn’t invited. He had no voice. And he hated being sidelined while others made decisions that affected him.
No one really knows how the game is played
The art of the trade
How the sausage gets made…
That feeling—that loss of control—is all too familiar for families when someone dies without a plan. When no end-of-life decisions have been made, the people left behind scramble to figure out what to do. Assets get tied up in probate. Income from a job disappears. Suddenly, the surviving spouse or children are forced to make huge life changes, often without knowing where to start.
So, whose job is it to make sure everything’s in order?
In a two-parent household, it has to be both. It’s too risky for just one person to handle everything. He might forget. She might put it off. And if no one takes the lead, we just “assume that it happens.”
But when both partners are involved, something shifts. You stay accountable. You plan with clarity. You both have a voice. You both have a say in the future. As Hamilton sings:
When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game
But you don’t get a win unless you play in the game.
End-of-life planning isn’t just a task to check off—it’s an act of freedom. It gives your family:
Freedom from legal chaos
Freedom from financial instability
Freedom to make decisions with clarity
Freedom to grieve without a to-do list
Freedom to move forward with confidence
So this Independence Day, take a moment to imagine the unthinkable: what if you were the one left behind? Would you have access to the accounts? The legal authority to act? The money to stay in your home?
If not, don’t “wait for it.”
I wanna be in the room where it happens.
I got to be in the room where it happens.
Be in that room. Make your voice heard. Make your plan.
We’re here to help you get started.
“Click. Boom.”
Corey
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