Life is full of change; the key is keeping up. The person at the Post Crescent who edited and published my column is no longer there; so, changes at the Post Crescent mean changes for me.
I started this journey sixteen years ago, when I approached Dan Flannery, the Post Crescent editor, and asked if he would let me talk to you, their readers. My goal was to get you thinking about the future before it blind-sided you. So many of my customers waited to do something until they were in crisis. I was happy to help them, but I wished they had started the conversations earlier.
So, let’s see what you learned. What answer fits you best? (Hint: some are tongue-in-cheek.)
#1 Your stuff. Someday, someone will have to deal with all your stuff: A) You should leave the mess for the kids to deal with. Afterall, you gave them life! B) Delay dealing with it because you think your collectables might be worth a ton of money. C) Take responsibility for it and git’er done. If not you, who should do it? If not now, when will you be more capable?
#2 End of life planning. A) You should leave the decisions for the kids to deal with. They will figure it out. B) You have your plans done and have secretly stored them in your safe-deposit box (wrong answer). C) You have filled out and discussed with all involved: your health care power of attorney, financial power of attorney, will/trust. You have even discussed your funeral. Your wishes are clear. They won’t have to guess anything.
#3 Leaving the house eventually. A) You plan to die in that recliner. You have told your kids to swear they will never make you leave the house. B) You have seen friends and family go through life changes and know someday you will have to consider it. But not this day (this week, this year…) C) Start looking around at what you might want to do in the future and check out options for future reference. D) Acknowledge that the time is now. If your needs are starting to outpace your abilities, it is time to have a frank conversation with the family and start the process – while the outcome is still in your control.
#4 You won’t hear from me again. Wrong! A) You can call my business if you are considering a transition; serving my customers gives me joy. B) I would love to be a speaker for your group – I’ll get everyone thinking. C) You can buy one of my books, which are compilations of my columns. Information is below.
Thank you, Laura Long Muinde (my assister) and Mara Wagner, for all your help over the years with getting my column to print.
Folks, keep moving forward i
n life. Use the resources available so you can manage change early and while you are able to be in charge.
Readers, it has been a pleasure chatting with you.
Jean Long Manteufel wrote a column each month about life changes associated with aging. You can reach her at Jean@TransitionsWithJean.com or call 920-585-7769. Her books: Transitions, How to help Mom and Dad with their stuff, and Transitions 2, How to get help when you are overwhelmed can be found on Amazon or www.TransitonsWithJean.com