Why I wrote this book...
I wrote this book to allow me to have peace of mind. And to help you have it, too.
When I retired some years ago, I had newly-found time. Whe people asked, "So how do you keep busy these days?" I told them of my project: writing a informational guide for my wife. For the past few decades my wife and I have done our best to protect each other and provide a good lfie for ourselves, our family and our community. As it turns out, she is the social director, cook extraordinaire, arbiter of good taste, and of course, my best friend.
My roles? The keeper of the records, the one who handles our finances and the one who maintains our house, including its appliances. And a happy and rewarding relationship it is.
But I started thinking, who will handle all these things if I weren't around? How would my wife and children know about the health insurance, service contracts for household things, unpaid and paid bills, and right on down the line to what items I want my children to have and what treasures we may have in art and collectibles.
From the sublime to the critically important - we can have peace of mind in knowing a completed Record Book will give that peace of mind to those we love, too.
Empower Your Loved Ones With Knowledge
One of the biggest problems people face when a family member passes is finding and acting on critical information such as final wishes and arrangements, financial records, house maintenance etc.
Much more than a check list of information, the book guides the financial and household manager on what facts to leave behind, such as:
Where to get cash and how to replenish the checkbook
Locations of legal papers your survivors will need
Whom to contact when an appliance stops working
All about your house; alarm system, and who has keys
Computer passwords; what to do when a crash occurs!
Medical data about me you should know
Information on investments, insurance and unpaid bills
Downsizing – when and how to
Distribution of furniture; avoiding later disputes
How and where to get rid of stuff the kids don’t want
This book is for:
Persons with aging parents
Cartetakers
Estate executors
People who care and who love their survivors
For fun, Why? Because I Love You contains cartoons licensed from The New Yorker and tells you how to create a locator system for your documents. It is a loving gift for those you care about the most.
What they teach you at Harvard...
During my first week of college at Harvard, the president of the university addressed our freshman class and explained that it was not the university's purpose in the next four years to have us memorize information - but rather, to learn where to get it.
The same holds true for "Why? Because I Love You". It will be your tool - and your loved ones' tool - when you need to know or find something, you'll know where to look. This book has been prepared with love - as a gesture to help ease you into the next phase of your life, and I hope that it does.
But - it is more than retirement planning - just think of going on vacation - going into the hospital for surgery - being on an extended vacation - being called out of your home to care for a family member. All these situations call out for an organized method of taking care of the most important documents - and information - you have.
Order the book
Why? Because I Love You sells for $16.95 and
is available at many bookstores, and at Amazon.com.