I thought I’d tell you some stories today that really bring home the importance and value of your relationship with a lawyer.

What I find is that MOST people think they don’t have enough wealth to need such a relationship, but these stories will show you that’s a false belief.

My father-in-law died with a living trust and yet after his death, we were suddenly dealing with the probate court AND his ex-wife.  I was in law school at the time, so I didn’t know much about estate planning.

But, I did know that a living trust meant no probate.

Or, so I thought.

My in-laws didn’t have a relationship with their lawyer. They had gone to him for the preparation of documents and that’s what they got.  An expensive set of documents at that! And, while there was a note in my in-laws trust binder that said "Congratulations on your new estate plan, now, make sure you transfer your assets!" this lawyer had not taken any action on my in-laws behalf to ensure this was done, or even that they understood how important it was.

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My kids and I just got back from a high-flying trapeze class. Wow!  What an incredible experience.

I may not be as exhilarated when the soreness hits, but for tonight - my body is zinging with the energy of flying.

Turns out the trapeze is the perfect metaphor for life. There is no holding on.  You have to let go to fly.  And, there’s just no way to leap off the platform if you allow your mind to control you.

The minute you just let go and relax, the world opens up and you are flying through the air with ease and grace.

I was scared to death standing on the platform.  My heart was beating, my hands were sweaty; I was certain I was going to die. I’m slightly afraid of heights.

My whole body was clenched with fear. My mind yelling NO! Ready, set, bend my knees and hop off the platform.

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The deposit was due yesterday for me to lock-in Kaia’s re-enrollment at Chadwick next year and I wrote the VERY BIG check even though I’m not certain it was the best idea.

Chadwick is an amazing school and it’s VERY academic; more so than I think I understood when we applied.

On the tour, I got the picture of a place where individuality is respected and even encouraged.

That appealed to me because one of the things I value most about myself is my refusal to do what everyone else is doing.

Truthfully, I’m a rule-breaker. Always have been. And now, I’ve channeled that rule-breaking into creative outlets that are making the world a better place. But then? Well, let’s just say, it wasn’t as positive …

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