“What-if” End-of-Life Planning Blog
How Do You Explain Death to Children?
Explaining death to children is a difficult, but important, task. In this week’s blog post we’ve included links to articles written by professionals who offer great advice and counsel about how to talk to kids about death and prepare them for loss, as well as how to support children who are grieving now.
The Great Family Council
One of the most important steps in end-of-life planning is to communicate your wishes with the family. Sharing your plans helps ensure that they are conducted according to your desires and helps eliminate family squabbles over post-mortem activities.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Life Insurance for Young Couples and Individuals
While you may not find life insurance on many wedding or baby shower registries, gifting a new policy to a young couple or individual is a terrific way to protect their family’s future.
Living Trusts versus Wills
Wills and trusts are two legal documents that are used in end-of-life planning. In some cases, both may be needed to properly get your affairs in order. In other situations, one or the other may suffice and/or be advantageous over the other. While the goals of each are similar, how the goals are accomplished through each of these legal instruments is different.
Comforting the Grieving
Whether intentional or not, hurtful and offensive comments are a part of life. Widows and widowers are especially vulnerable to well-meaning, but painful comments of others.
Including Pets in End-of-Life Planning
While our main goal is to prepare “the survivors” for the death of a family member, sometimes beloved survivors are also pets. These furry, loyal friends deserve to be accounted for in our end-of-life planning.
"I've Got the Power"...of Attorney
It is important to understand the concept of “power of attorney.” Various versions of this legal document are recommended as part of your end-of-life planning.
The Love Letters Kept
One of the things we hear most often about loss is that when a parent/spouse/loved one passed away, survivors immediately look for something written that had their name on it. Whether it was a letter, a journal entry, a calendar, ANYTHING in their loved one’s handwriting that mentioned the survivor by name. I this week’s blog, we discuss one of our HIGHLY RECOMMENDED things to add to your end-of-life planning to do list. Write letters to your people. A journal is for you. A letter is for them.
Childcare for the Suddenly Single Parent
When planning for what-if moments, it’s important to consider childcare from the perspective of both parents suddenly finding themselves single to make sure resources will be available for either parent to succeed.
Preparation for Peace
Preparing emotionally and spiritually for the death of a spouse is a challenge, but doable. Conversation is the key.
Estate and Game Plan
Many people often use the term “estate plan” and “will” or “living trust” interchangeably, but they are, in fact, different concepts.
Don’t Poke the Care BEAR!
Don't poke the care bear! Being a caregiver to a loved one during a long-term illness was a life-changing, difficult, yet very meaningful experience. Turns out caregiving brings its own set of challenges while your person is also having life-changing, difficult and hopefully meaningful experiences.
Term versus Permanent
For most people, life insurance should be a key component of your end-of-life plans. It can play a huge role in easing the burden of death by allowing the surviving spouse to hire others to help with day-to-day tasks and/or replace lost income and keep paying the bills. The two main types of life insurance are described in this blog.
The Estate Planning Time
Just because we don’t have large and expensive kinds of assets, doesn’t mean we don’t have an estate and a need for estate planning. In this week’s blog, find out what an estate plan is and how you can get started.
Planning for a Funeral
Whether it’s called a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life, honoring the deceased is a custom upheld by most families and communities. Many decisions must be made to prepare for and carry out a service. What happens to the body? Where will the remains reside? What kind of casket or urn is desired? Though each of these components could be a blog all by themselves, this week’s blog addresses what may be the driving force behind how you answer each these questions -- cost.
Carrying Carts & Lightening Loads
Here’s a secret. You DON’T have to do everything on your own. You can if you want, but most people really are amazing in a crisis and truly want to help somehow. Like the pioneers pulling a handcart together– neighbors, friends, even perfect strangers will often want to ease those burdens with you. But, oh, the healing that can take place when you have even more join in. The secret is letting them do it.
Preparing for Single Parenthood
After I was thrust into the world of single parenthood when Kris died, it did not take long before my level of respect for all single parents, regardless of how or why they got into that position, rose through the roof.
Trying to be the mom AND the dad to three girls and one boy is crazy hard!
What is this mental fog?
One of the most important reasons for preparing for the death of a loved one is something called “grief brain or widow’s fog”.
How Everything Began...
Everyone’s got a story about how they arrived to where they’re at. Here’s mine…
One night in June 2015, I returned home late from a work trip to Orlando due to weather delays. When the plane finally touched down in Portland after midnight, I turned my phone on hoping to hear about my daughters’ experiences at an Imagine Dragons concert from that night. Instead, I found this text from my wife…
Spring Time Renewal all Around
While we appreciate how the rain and snow in Oregon sustains a diverse wildlife while keeping the grass green, the lakes and rivers filled, and the flowers blooming, we’re looking forward to this year’s spring and its symbolism of rebirth and renewal.