I’ve been very open about the fact that my mother died last January. I still remember the last “real” conversation I had with her. I was getting my tires changed and picking my car up from the shop.
It was around New Years, and I let her know that I had planned to fly home in a couple of weeks to visit her with my oldest son and that I would be coming back again in February with my daughter.
Aside from updating her about my travel plans, I wanted to check in because I knew that she wasn’t feeling well. During that call, she broke down in tears and told me that she was scared and that she didn’t want to die.
Ever the optimist, I explained to her that she was strong and that she can beat this (she had cancer). I reminded her that she had planned a trip to the Florida Keys in February that she had to look forward too.
We didn’t get to talk too long that evening because she was tired and in a lot of pain.
In the days that followed, I called her frequently, but she stopped answering the phone. Towards the middle of January, I got a call from my sister that she had fallen and was being admitted to the hospital. I drove up the next day and was able to spend two full days with her before she fell into a coma-like state and passed away Monday evening.
While it was wonderful that I was able to spend her last few days with her, I wasn’t really spending those days with my Mom. Her mental faculties were deteriorating rapidly and she was unable to get out of the hospital bed.
There were so many things I wanted to ask her and talk to her about that I never had the opportunity to. Stories I remember that she had told us before that I will never hear her share ever again…
But it didn’t have to be that way.
We knew my Mom had cancer. We could have done something different.
We could have preserved those stories.
Introducing the Legacy Conversation™
I have some voice mails of my Mom from the past several years. After I learned of her cancer diagnosis I stopped deleting her messages. I never knew which message would be the last I received from her. As it stands, I have maybe 15 or 20 voicemails from her. This one was the last…
I love how in this message, just three weeks before her death, she shows how getting just the right Christmas gift for my son was at the top of her mind… anyway.
On a very personal level, I understand how meaningful it would have been if my Mom had left me a letter, a note, or an audio recording that I could go back and re-read when I was really missing her.
But she didn’t, and now all those memories and stories are lost.
That’s when I started to develop the concept of the Legacy Conversation™.
A Legacy Conversation™ is an opportunity for us to sit down record a conversation where you will share your stories, values, feelings about the world around us, and a vision for your family.
When you prepare your estate plan with The Hart Law Firm, you will receive a free Legacy Conversation™ that will take place during the third meeting with our office. Your conversation will be burned to CD and delivered to you to keep with your estate planning portfolio. We will also keep a safe copy of your recording in our online client database.
You see, here at The Hart Law Firm, we believe that estate planning is much more than just passing on financial assets. We believe that your intellectual property is just as, if not more important than your tangible wealth.
And if you decide to sign up for our membership program, we will record a new Legacy Conversation™ each and every year during your annual review.
If you would like to learn more about creating a lasting legacy for your family, please feel free to contact us using this online form or call our office at (919) 460-5422.