ARTICLES / Sponsor / Love Is
In The Details /
Other ArticlesBy Laura Wallis
How do you show love? Do you write
sonnets and leave love notes by the cereal, or
are you a little more down to earth? Do
you show your feelings by taking out the trash
and making sure there is milk in the fridge?
As nice as love notes can be, sometimes love is
a practical matter.
For most people, love is in the details.
Some of those details are fun, like birthdays
and anniversaries. Some of those details
are useful, like the day the maid comes.
(Don't I wish!) Some of those details can
be downright boring, such as the routing number
to the checking account. However, all the
details are important. By organizing
details we show we care. Here are just a
few examples:
- Organizing your contact information can
avert disaster. As a caregiver you are the
keeper of information. You have to know
the routine, the medications, the food menu, the
doctor schedule, the bills to be paid, the
financial accounts to use, the shopping to be
done and all the schedules. You have to
know all of this in addition to what you need
for your own life.
What happens when you aren't around to share the
information you know by heart? You could
be out of town on a well deserved break when the
water pipes in the bathroom break. What
will your sister from out of town do if she
doesn't know the number to your insurance agent?
Being the keeper of all information is just a
bad idea. If you don't believe me, ask the
fish swimming around on your bathroom floor.
- Knowing about finances empowers your
loved ones. Caregiving often means taking
care of the finances as well. You
may be very good at remembering which bills get
paid out of which accounts but no one else will
understand your process as well as you do.
When families don't understand the finances they
get nervous. Don't leave your loved ones
out of the loop. If you are the keeper of
the checkbook, then make sure you document your
account numbers and financial institutions.
It will help everyone feel more comfortable.
- Having a plan shows you care.
Everyone dies. Hopefully that won't happen
to you for a long time, but it will happen.
Do you have your life organized well enough that
someone else could step in and take over?
Think hard and answer honestly. . . Have you
written out all of your personal information as
well as the details of those you care for?
Do your siblings or children know what needs to
be done to continue care? Having a plan
will take stress off of you and help your loved
ones feel secure.
So how do you show you care? After you
have written love notes, taken out the trash and
paid the maid, take the time to organize your
information. It will help you feel more
secure and show your family just how much you
love them.
Laura Wallis is a mom, a business owner and a
civil engineer. She helped care for her
grandmother while attending college in
Tucson, Arizona. Laura is the designer of
Prepared Binder – Home Edition © which is an
organizational product allowing you to place all
of your life's details and paperwork in one
location. She can be reached at
preparedbinder.com or info@preparedbinder.com.
