When there's a death in the family, you are devastated, and everyone knows it. They rush in to comfort you and help you through your grief. But that's not all you need. You need to know what to do right now, what to expect, and how to legally get their affairs in order, all at a time you are emotionally fragile and confused. The website My Parents Are Dead: What Now? takes you through those steps of getting things done, from moving the body to dealing with mourners to dispersing possessions to settling probate. The skeleton decorating the site is the "self-care skeleton" who has tips at the end of each section for de-stressing a little.
While this guide may seem irrelevant to you now, you should learn these things before you need them. If you haven't already done so, you will someday confront the death of your parents, unless you go first. And that makes the first section, the "to die" list, especially important regarding not only your parents, but you as well. Preparing ahead of time will be a wonderful way to make things easier for your children or other heirs when the time comes. Also, there's nothing like disposing of someone's else's possessions that will inspire you to pare down your own collection of stuff. -via Metafilter
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Thanks for the kind words, Miss C. If you only knew the whole story... Sometimes I am amazed at my life's story (saga) and how I even survived getting to this ripe old age that I am now. But you have to stay positive and have a sense of humor and things will always work out for the better. Because, IMO, life is a series of lessons and tests to see how we grow and evolve and, hopefully, become a better person that walks gently upon Mother Earth.
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Yikes, Sandyra. I'm sorry you had to deal with all that.
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I was guardian and executor for both my parents. My mother abandoned my father when his stroke related dementia got too advanced. She left him right before their 65th anniversary stating that she hated him (and me), that she "wasn't having fun anymore" and went off to live with my brother in another state. She never once came to see him for the next 4 years of his life until he was dying. I was the sole caretaker for my father. I sold their house and managed their money and belongings and made sure they were both well taken care of for the rest of their lives. As their guardian/executor I was entitled to charge them for my services but I never took a cent. It just didn't seem right. My mother died last year at 99. Managing their remaining lives and their deaths was pretty easy unlike the mess involved with my in-laws. Now, that was a nightmare! Too bad that website wasn't around back then. But I really don't know what a person can do when a relative decides to help themselves to the deceased's belongings behind the family's back without causing a lot of bad blood.
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