On Sunny Lane: Be prepared

As I was going through my collection of wedding cards so I could select one for my great niece’s upcoming wedding, I found a sympathy card.

Now, was that a coincidence (which I don’t believe there are any of), a lack of organization, or a bad omen?

I take great pains to keep my greeting cards in an orderly fashion. I keep birthday cards in a group, sympathy cards in a box, thank you and miscellaneous cards together and, of course, wedding cards in a box of their own. Apparently, one card slipped through the cracks.

Years ago, when my brother was killed in Vietnam, our family got together to mourn. My sister-in -law said, “There’s a birth, a death and a wedding. When there’s one in the family, there’s usually the other two. It keeps the cycle of life turning.”

Sure enough, my niece got married and I gave birth to a baby boy that same year. Our family has been moving right along ever since.

Now, marriage and child birth are happy events, but they take some planning. However, it takes some planning to prepare for transition from earth to our final reward also We want to make sure our heart is right so we go to the destination we prefer. But, we also want to prepare for the welfare of our loved ones.

I have a friend who says her children told her to spend her money, because they don’t want or need it after she is gone. Some people, though, feel a need to be prepared for their final days. There are so many “ifs” involved in aging. How does a person know how much money to save?

Money can be used for travel, or some of the finer things that the person couldn’t avail him/herself of while working. But, what if the person’s health demands that they spend the rest of their life in a nursing home? That can eat up a person’s savings in short order.

How do you save just enough money to last your lifetime, but don’t have a lot left over? How do you make it come out even? And, what about your stuff?

I have school work papers that I saved from first grade through high school. My children will take one look and throw them away. My house is full of mementos from friends and family. My heirs won’t know where they came from--or care. I have tried to give my loved ones some of my unneeded furniture, but they are not interested.

What to do!

I guess we should save some and spend some. Maybe, we should spend more time preparing our hearts and less time worrying about the stuff.

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Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com