A few years before my Nana and Papa passed, they had a private meeting with our family. During this meeting, they presented my mom & Uncle Brian with a portable metal file cabinet whereof all their most important documents, titles, deeds, POA, DNA, accounts, wills, you name it – we’re neatly organized in one place.

Nana and Papa wanted theIr children to know their final wishes, to be able to gracefully navigate their decisions when they were unable to represent themselves. 

Why did they do that? Why did they have difficult conversations in advance? Why did they bring up death and end-of-life decisions years before they needed to?

Because they were legacy leavers in the highest sense. 

Because they valued their children.

Because they always put family first. 

I remember when they passed away, within two weeks of each other, sorting through their belongings, going through Papa’s office, specifically looking for a car title. 

I remember being grief-stricken an old how painful it was calling to close yet another account. 

How painful it was having to say over and over again, “yes, they passed.” “yes, I’m calling to close his account. He died.”

And even though they were so organized in their planning, there were still so many mysteries to unravel. 

When I teach the importance of passwords and online account management to my students, I always focus on the importance of being a legacy leaver in this same way. 

I have the privilege of providing tech support to some of the most accomplished older adults on the planet. These are trailblazers, leaders, decision-makers who have left a mark on the world they influenced.

With that same vision, I teach your residents and your parents how to leave a digital legacy for their families.  How this can be the most loving thing they can do today.