The financial aspects of estate planning are self-evident, but when you are taking stock of the broader part of your legacy you may feel as though you would like to leave behind something more. We have all had the experience of providing guidance or advice to family members who have come to us with problems that money couldn’t solve. When you come to the full realization that you will no longer be there at some point to provide your perspectives and experience you may feel a certain emptiness.
From the time your first child is born you feel a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility as a parent, and most people would say that this never goes away even after the children are grown. This feeling is multiplied when you have grandchildren, which makes it very difficult to let go as you reach the end of your life, if not for your own personal reasons because of the fact that you will no longer be available to those that you love.
Though you can’t be around forever one thing that you can do is leave a piece of yourself behind by taking the time to write your memoirs. The things that you have experienced throughout your life shaped you to a large degree, and when you share these instructive stories with your family members you impart some of your own hard-won wisdom while providing a glimpse into yourself they would never have otherwise seen.
Sharing autobiographical anecdotes with your family members as part of your estate is also a way for you to provide a connection between your younger relatives and those who came before you. Plus, the endeavor is personally rewarding as you afford yourself the opportunity to take a look back at your life and externalize the events that stand out as being especially meaningful to you.
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