This week’s post comes from Trisha Barb, librarian for Pocahontas County Library and Visitor Centers’ Linwood branch. This Friday, Linwood will host a session on end-of-life planning as part of its adult summer reading series. In the paragraphs that follow, Trisha explains how she came to offer this session and why it’s important to tackle uncomfortable topics. –jjm
We often treat the topic of death as taboo.
Nobody wants to think about dying. We’re even more reluctant to think about the death of our loved ones. However, as the saying goes, two things are certain in life: death and taxes.
I speak from experience. I recently lost one of my loved ones. The loss was hard enough. But I also felt like I was drowning in tasks, trying to find all of the documents and contact information necessary to conduct business after they were gone.
It was shortly after this time I stumbled upon the idea of an After I’m Gone Binder.
The “After I’m Gone Binder” is designed to store important documents that a loved one may need. Binders are stored in a secure location known to both you and your loved ones, and they include things like passwords for social media accounts and online billing systems, details about burial wishes, contact information for lawyers, guardianship plan for children, and personal documents such as Social Security numbers and birth certificates.
You can think of it as a way of easing some of the logistical hurdles your loved ones will have to face after you are gone.
While nothing eases the pain of the loss of a loved one, an “After I’m Gone Binder” can at least prevent some additional stress. I put together a Before You Go/End of Life Planning workshop in the hopes of helping those in our community have a slightly less stressful experience than the one I had.
I wanted to make sure that the information provided was both helpful and accurate. That’s why I asked for help from LuAnne Creager, a financial service specialist from Good Life Financial in Green Bank.
LuAnne will be at Linwood library Friday, July 12, at 4 pm, where she will provide information on preparing your financial accounts for your loved ones for after you pass away.
LuAnne will also offer guidance on completing important documents and finding help to prepare them.
If you are interested in creating peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones, be sure to visit the Linwood Library Friday, July 12, at 4 p.m. for this free presentation.