By Mary Roberts
PROCRASTINATION is a big word and a big part of most of our lives today. Life has become so busy that we put off today what we can do tomorrow. The most important decisions that we need to make and act-on to keep our lives and those of our loved ones secure often fall into that category. The things we seem to give our immediate attention are work and our everyday necessaries. This seems right but we forget how important it is to plan ahead for the future. Too many times we don’t think about estate planning and medical planning until something happens to someone near and dear to us.
Many times it is too late.
God made us with a conscience and many times gives us the prodding that we need to think about something. Sometimes we do think, but don’t act on it.
I have recently been involved with a family who have been friends of mine for many years. We have helped each other through some rough times when there was sickness and special needs. The wife had a series of strokes when she was very young, late forties and early fifties. The husband had a serious heart attack and in later years back surgery. My phone rang one day and the husband said he had not been feeling well and was scheduled for some tests. He needed me to spend some time with her while he did these tests and ,more importantly, asked that I take the responsibility of POA for him during this time and Executor if anything should happen to him. Even more importantly, the wife, who still cannot write or run her business affairs asked me to act as POA for her, if necessary and Executor if he would not survive her. We called their attorney and he reacted immediately. I helped by acting as the Power of Attorney for him at that time. (There are three children but none of them are capable of acting in this capacity). We got thru those times and the wife learned to walk and talk again and is mobile with a walker. By the way, this couple is in their 60′s.
Long story short, he had the tests, open heart surgery and came home doing very well. Three weeks later I got a call in the middle of the night and he had died very suddenly.
Can you imagine where the wife would have been without this paperwork in order? We have now completed his estate. She is still living in her own home, with my help as POA, taking care of her financial business, medical needs and in-home care through Medicaid. The husband’s main goal was to be able to keep her at home as long as possible. That is happening.
When you’re prompted to think about and act on estate planning, act on it. It can make a major difference of the lives of those that mean the most to us.
