Remembering and Memorializing the Intangibles Can Be the Most Valuable Gift You Can Leave Your Heirs
Dad’s love letters to Mom. Medals from a great uncle who served in World War 1. Handprints from the first baby. A grandfather’s ring. Photos from ancestors who began time in America at Ellis Island. These, along with family history and stories, are just some of the priceless items collected in a life well lived.
It is critical to determine who will receive sentimental items of your life’s journey in advance of your disability or death. Many times, these possessions have no monetary or commercial value but are the lifeblood of a family. An inheritance can be made up of both tangible and intangible gifts.
Through proper planning, families can sort out what is important to each individual before a death. And, a proper trust can insure that the wishes of the deceased are carried out as outlined.
Traditions too, are critical: That special recipe from grandma that everyone enjoyed at Thanksgiving. Stories shared with one another. A code of values that is the soul of the next generation.
The processes available to you as a client will help you organize what is important to you and provide a vehicle to see that your wishes are honored. LifeSpan documents can preserve how you will be remembered and these can be continually updated. The planning process also includes how you will be commerated at a ceremony of your choice—formal funeral or celebration of life.