Leaving Your Loved Ones With Stories, Values, and Life Lessons
Financial Planning is Only Part of an Estate Plan. Leave Behind Something More Meaningful for Your Loved Ones
A palliative nurse interviewed her patients about their regrets and found that the top regrets of the dying were wishing that “I had not worked so hard,” wishing that “I had the courage to live a life true to myself, and not the life I was expected to live,” and wishing that “I had the courage to express my feelings,” as reported by The Guardian. These are powerful statements, and something of which future generations should take heed. But how can this message be conveyed?
Estate planners, educators, and financial advisors and have all been making a recent push to ensure that life lessons are passed down, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A will lays out who gets what in terms of your property, but it can be so much more than that. While passing down family heirlooms, and bequeathing your financial property is one crucial aspect of a will, wills can also serve as a means to pass down your life stories, values, wisdom, and lessons.
What Forms Are There to Choose From?
Throughout the trials and tribulations of decades; there is much that you have learned in your life that younger generations have yet to experience. Many testators have a desire to continue educating and passing down wisdom after they have left. And whether the information you hope to impart includes marriage and relationship advice; your thoughts on finding happiness and meaning in life; or a story that has deep meaning to you, and potentially your loved ones, a will is the ideal way to accomplish this goal. There are a variety of ways to achieve this handing down of knowledge and values, and they include the following:
- Creating video, audio, or written interview of you, with or without an interviewer;
- Audio recordings of your thoughts and values;
- Letters or word documents to specific individual loved ones;
- A memoir, or series of short stories and thoughts meant for all of your loved ones and friends that you leave behind;
- Digital autobiography; and
- An ethical will or legacy letter, which describes your values and life lessons, though is not a legal document.
There are many platforms to accomplish the above mentioned letters, memoirs, and video interviewers. These range from online sites such as YouTube, to the handwritten word.
A San Francisco Attorney Can Help Today
If you have not yet created a will, or your will needs to be updated and reviewed with an experienced eye; now is a perfect time to get started. A San Francisco estate planner can help you achieve your goals of preserving your family heritage and ensuring that you leave your loved ones with something truly meaningful.