If you follow me on social media, you may have seen my post from a few days ago when I attended the funeral of one my past clients. If you haven’t, let me tell you the story of how my son Crosby and I unknowingly honored Ms. Dorothy on the day she passed. Here is what I posted on social media:
8/25/23 One of my sweet clients passed away and we remembered her today. At her funeral, her brother shared a story of when he was a small child, Ms. Dorothy brought him a strawberry ice cream cone and how special that was to him. The hospice chaplain shared that in her last days, Ms. Dorothy had asked for ice cream and the only flavor the nursing home had was…strawberry. Unbeknownst to us, Crosby and I snagged a sweet treat from Alexander’s Work & Wander earlier in the week. Can you guess what flavor he chose? Crosby and Ms. Dorothy met several times. He’d always dress up and bring her purple flowers – her favorite color. When I took this photo earlier in the week, I didn’t know Ms Dorothy had passed, or the strawberry ice cream stories, or even notice we were sitting on a bench with purple flowers. But these little “God nods” were gentle reminders that God sees it all and He is in control. So next time you get strawberry ice cream or see a purple flower, say a little prayer for Ms. Dorothy’s family.”
The same week Ms. Dorothy passed, there were two other tragic deaths in my circle of friends. One here at home, another back at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where I went to college. While Ms. Dorothy enjoyed almost 100 years here on this earth, the other two young men were taken very unexpectedly. It was a vivid reminder that we are not promised tomorrow.
With all that in mind, I found this month’s mailer very timely. I know this subject can be hard. Let’s take a moment to think of how we can love our family and loved ones well by planning in advance. I have had several clients who have been blessed with beautifully prepared estates after their loved one dies. And I have had many who are left to untangle a web of accounts, documents, and missing information. This has compounded their grief and settling the estate becomes a full-time job for the heartbroken survivors. Let’s all commit to loving our heirs well. Plan ahead, document important information, make copies to keep in a secure location, talk to the executor of your estate in advance, write down your wishes…this is an incredible gift we can give our grieving family members. And yes, I am preaching to the choir here!
As always, thank you for your time in reading this, your business, your feedback and your referrals. Until next month…
Your Realtor,
Holly Douglas, REALTOR®
864-992-7820
HollyDouglas.Realtor@gmail.com
P.S. I’m never too busy for your referrals!