This is Vanese Ferguson with Coffee Talk.

In my house-hold we are in the midst of re-doing our wills.  The wills of yesteryear when we were young and unencumbered look much different than today.  And it’s a complicated business from appointing an executor – because taking care of the dissolution of someone’s estate is no small task –  to deciding what goes to whom in terms of personal items and any possible funds that may arise from the process.  And you have that moment where you realize all those things you’ve amassed are just things, no matter what they mean to you and will likely not matter to anyone else.  As we continue on this journey I think we will do what a family friend is in the midst of doing for her kids.  They are, despite still enjoying the house they built, in the process of downsizing and making that decision based on pure practicality.  They will take only what they need for the senior’s complex they are moving into which was chosen because it is easy to sell.  The choices they are making now bridge two realities, enjoying where they live and making the process as easy as possible for their sons who will deal with any property left.  It wasn’t until I had that conversation with them that I realized we needed to get our ducks in a row.  There’s no time like right now to make sure you’ve laid out, legally and neatly how you want your worldly goods dealt with. Because I’ll tell you what, and no offence to the lawyers out there, but I don’t want my money whether I’m in the earthly plain or not, to going to lawyers and for sure, I don’t want it going to the government.