She went into hospice on Christmas Day.
My Grandma, she was an amazing woman. No grass grew under her feet. In her lifetime, she saw: electricity, radio, television, rotary and digital phones, computers, horse drawn carts, cars…. In 1968, her husband died. She retired from teaching 8th grade music and math in 1979. She paid off her mortgage. She traveled all over. She sang in choirs until 3 months before she passed. She spent 2 months in California every year taking care of/visiting her Aunt. She moved her body and stretched every day. She did puzzles every day (crossword, acrostics, you name it she did it.) She told me to move it or lose it. She prayed daily. She so had her stuff together. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. She actually said that. (Doesn’t everyone’s grandma say that?) She was never, ever old.
September 16th
Grandma had what the doctors called “mini strokes” and from which she was recovering. And recovering well and fast. She moved from living alone (since 1968) to her daughters house in New Hampshire after coming out of 100 days in rehab.
The paperwork was crazy.
My Aunt and Dad (on separate coasts) were trying to figure out Medicare, insurance, life insurance, how to buy her a bed, how to make sure she had the daily nursing care she needed (there is insurance for that, by the way). For a woman who had all her stuff totally together, it was tough to piece together without being inside her head. It was working out though. I talked with her on Saturday December 12th. She said she was frustrated since she knew the words in her head, they just wouldn’t come out of her mouth. Can you imagine that? A teacher not being able to communicate? She told me she loved me.
December 16th
Grandma had a major stroke.
Christmas Day
Grandma went into hospice. It wasn’t long before she said goodbye. On January 4th at midnight eastern time, she passed on to the next life. She would have been 96 in April.
What’s left behind.
We who were left without her on this earth grieve still. And we got flights and hotels and trekked out to Connecticut for the biggest party we could think of. We laughed and cried and people who we never ever met before told us how amazing and kind and happy she was.
Then came the paperwork. The insurance, the death certificates, the attorney, the banking, the itemizing, the funeral, the life insurance. Honestly, my Aunt, who just watched her mother pass away, was barely hanging on. As the main person on the East Coast, she knew where most of the stuff was. Grandma had her stuff together. Emotionally, though, my aunt was just so overwhelmed, it was hard, and still is hard, to make decisions and take care of details.
And this is the reason I created this binder for financial documents.
I created this binder because of my relationship with several amazing people, chiefly my financial advisor, Amanda Johnson. I’m pretty organized anyway, and she inspired me to create this binder. Until this moment, I never personally knew it’s true value. Grandma taught me that everything has a place and everything is in its place. In this amazingly emotional time, my Aunt and Dad are able to take care of her wishes because the stuff was where she said it was, all in one place. Yes, there is still some sorting to do, but not too much. This binder is meant for us when the unthinkable and inevitable happens. Midst the heavy emotions, we can still take care of what needs to happen.
Can you imagine what would have happened if everything was scattered all over the place?
I can. You can bet that I’m on my mom, dad, and aunt’s respective cases to get their paperwork in order. I already know the emotions will be hard when they pass. I don’t think I could take it if I had to figure out who paid for what and when and then make decisions on top of that.
I know this binder helps people.
I know it firsthand. Please get one for your mom, dad, or grandparents. I promise you, if they use it, it will make it easier down the road.
www.financialdocumentsbinder.com
