INTRODUCTION ... I am here to talk about death

Just 48 hours after moving across the country, to where my parents lived, I found myself at the beginning of a 2 ½ year odyssey of rapidly assuming responsibility, with my two sisters, for all of the medical, insurance, legal and financial aspects of their lives. The first step of understanding the legalities of their estate planning was overwhelming. I had entered a world that used a language entirely new to me. I had to learn new terms and their definitions in order to even ask intelligent questions.

Sometime later, my husband’s son lost his father-in-law with no notice. He had no last will and testament, owned assets, and his affairs were neither documented nor in order. The family's struggle with the loss was compounded by the uncertainty of what he wanted at the end of his life, making it even harder to talk about it.

I am here to talk about it! I am here to talk about all of it, from initial realization that the inevitable end of life is a reality, for all of us, through one’s final days on Earth. And to talk about how preparing your own estate plan leaves nothing in question and creates a clear roadmap for those who will be left to settle your estate.

I wish that I'd had a guide to help me understand the lexicon and the process of end of life, to illuminate the unknown and allay my fears, and allow me to thrive throughout the process.