Preserving heirlooms

My Death binder – now I am going to really creep you out…but please read on.

My mother…bless her heart…wrote out in a binder for her children what to do when she died. She had instructions, all her investments…with who to call for which, etc…bank accounts, insurance policies. All in separate plastic page holders. We called it “Death for Dummies”. I thought I should do the same for my kids.

My spouse and I have children from previous marriages. He has his stuff from his parents, grandparents, etc…as do I. I know that a certain item is his…that is was from an ancestor…but often forget who is was. It is the same for him.

My solution has been to take pictures of those special objects.  I include a history of the item. I have asked the children that if they do not want these family treasures to please offer them to someone in the family who does, rather than them going out of the family.

Once we are gone – it is important that they go to the appropriate family of children.  If they don’t know the history of the item, it will mean nothing.  They and lots of others know there is a death binder and have seen it.