It was September 22, 2014 just 7 days before her birthday. At 9:00 a.m., Monday morning, I was heading to Las Vegas for a business meeting, when my phone rang. I saw it was my father, and I knew exactly why he was calling. My grandmother who had been battling Alzheimer for 8 years had made her peace and passed on. I was half way to Vegas at this time heading into a 10 o'clock meeting. I remember feeling jumbled up inside because I was working and hadn't had the chance to say good bye. We get so busy with life that we miss the little moments that we wont get back.
My grandmother was an angle to say the least. She inspired us all and held our heads up when we needed it most. She was definitely the glue to our family and kept us all together. Every weekend if we did not attend our family lunch, we would be scolded with a lesson of what's important. To her, family was the most important thing and if you weren't working that day, you better have been sick and in bed, or been at the family gathering. There was no in between. I cherish that trait from her the most, she was a true gem.
Sadly when a loved one passes, time does not stand still. When my grandmother passed that morning hospice had to be called, they had to notify the hospital, take her in to diagnose, and record the time of death. My grandfather had already taken care of the necessary expenses before leaving work to take care of her full time. The ceremony and cremation was paid for out of my grandfathers savings and because money was limited he could not afford a proper burial. There are benefits to having a cremation, the expenses are cut down more than 80%. Although at times I know having a headstone to go visit and talk to would have been beneficial to my mind state. I don't say this to be selfish, but to impress on the importance of seeking guidance from the faithful.
I say all this to understand the importance of family, to cherish the memories, and stay fond of each other, even after the grave. But when our time comes, we don't have the option of making time stand still. We become so busy working to support our growing families, that we take time for granted. My grandfather took care of the expenses out of his retirement savings and decided to go back to work after she passed. He just turned 90 years old and is still in great shape, he retired for the 3rd time last year and is enjoying life every day, he is a true inspiration and has a lifetime of great stories to share. I cherish them with ever spoken word.
I urge you to call your family together and have the conversation. We never like to talk about death, but its important to have a plan, to think ahead even if its uncomfortable. If you can save your family thousands of dollars and leave something behind to inspire them, you will feel better about having a plan than if you had not. So let's see which plan works best for you and yours and I'll see you on the next page.
Stay humble and kind,
Nate Wissinger
