A family wedding
In our estate planning Jon and I don’t limit our attention to physical objects and money. Those assets are certainly part of the legacy our clients want to pass on and protect for their loved ones. But more and more we’ve also been helping our clients identify and pass along the other kind of legacy: their history and wisdom. The stories. I got a chance to experience the value of that kind of legacy Saturday.
Becky, Hannah and I went to my cousin’s wedding in Shelby. First came an incredible hail and rainstorm just as everyone was arriving at the church. Then we enjoyed a beautiful ceremony and a big reception. We got to see many family members and make new friends. It was just what a wedding should be.
We brought my mom. She’s 91 and doesn’t hear that well, so several of us left the party and found a quiet spot where she could talk to Harold, the bride’s grandfather. My mom was babysitting him 75 years ago when she met my dad. My mom had Harold’s little brother down on the kitchen floor giving him a licking. My dad walked in the back door and didn’t know what to think. I love that story!
I’ve heard most of the stories many times through the years. They didn’t make much of an impression on me when I was young, but now I really appreciate them. And I enjoy retelling them myself, so they weren’t all new to Hannah. But that was the first time she got to hear them like that. And it was undoubtedly the first time for her 13 year-old cousin from Colorado.
As I reflected back on the day, I realized that the highlight was the quiet chat with my mom and Harold. A chance to enjoy and witness the passing on of my family’s legacy. That’s worth a lot.
