Life and Death and Financial Planning
Posted on February 20, 2011 7 Comments
As I sit down to write this, gloomy freezing raindrops and gray skies mirror the intensely serious and stormy mood that’s taken hold of my loved ones this February. Conversations are enveloped in worry, weary out-of-town relatives split time between hospitals and homes, and the notions of love, loss, and responsibility weigh heavy on all of our minds. My 65-year-old Uncle is sick, and appears to be losing his battle today. And as I watch my mom alternate between turns as upbeat hostess, grieving sister, supportive friend, and strong mother, I’m reminded how lucky I am to have her in my life, and how precarious life can be at times.
I spend a lot of time on The Budgeting Babe writing and worrying about savings, investments, financial security, and future stability. But in the end, no matter how financially prepared – or unprepared – I as an individual might be for the dealings of daily life, I am wholly unprepared for dealings with sickness and death. My age probably has something to do with that – I don’t know anyone in her 30′s who spends time making sure his/her own papers are in order. And my parents are young, in their 50′s; I know they’ve started pulling together paperwork (my mom just told me she has a kit set up) but truthfully I don’t want to spend any time at all thinking about days when they might not be here.
But, because I was curious and also because I’m just sitting around my parents’ house waiting for a phone call from the hospital, I Googled “life death financial planning” and found this disaster plan on Wise Up Women (a site I had never heard of before). It’s a good checklist to browse and a nice starting point for someone like me for whom financial disaster planning isn’t top of mind most days. I’m going to start exploring the web site for other tips, make a few notes to myself, and start compiling a disaster plan of my own, and also make sure I know where my parents’ plans are.
Then, I am going to return to praying for my Uncle to pull through this, and for my family to find peace.
Category: Life, Money
Tags: basics , death , financial planning
Comments
7 Responses to “Life and Death and Financial Planning”
Leave a Reply
February 20th, 2011 @ 8:14 pm
I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle. What an awful thing to just have to sit and wait. Be there for your mom as much as you can. I know you will.
My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer last April, and since then we’ve had some difficult talks about the things on the list you linked to. Luckily, my parents are financially savvy, so they have everything in 1 safe place for the most part. It also prompted me to get my power of attorney and my health care directive done through my employer’s legal plan. My next step is to get copies of my stuff in the same place that my parents keep their stuff.
I’m looking forward to hearing you blog about your own experiences as you get your disaster plan in place.
February 21st, 2011 @ 1:01 am
My thoughts are with you and your family.
February 21st, 2011 @ 2:05 pm
My prayers are with you and your family.
February 21st, 2011 @ 3:30 pm
Thank you all. My uncle passed away last night. Hopefully he is in a better place now. Please keep my family in your thoughts.
February 21st, 2011 @ 8:00 pm
Sorr about your uncle. I hope he makes it. I am about to turn 30 myself and my wife and I just got life insurance. We have starting thinking about who our son would go to if we were to pass on. It is crazy to think that we are so young but in an instant we could be gone. Kind of depressing. But, on the upside, I like the links. I will put them on my site as well with a link to yours. Thanks.
http://onenewvoice.blogspot.com
February 22nd, 2011 @ 3:11 am
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
February 23rd, 2011 @ 5:40 pm
I just fell upon your blog a few weeks ago. I am so sorry to hear about your uncle.
I was moved to comment because it really is never too early to start planning. My sister’s boyfriend’s mom didn’t wake up from her sleep last week. And she was a perfectly healthy 50something. No one expected it or ever saw this coming. And they are still confused. Talk about the rug being pulled out from under you. Have dinner and laughs one night and the next day you get that call. When questions started being asked about what they would like to do for her final arrangements, no one knew. They hadn’t talked about that stuff.
Very sad time. I’m keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.