Filing Files

The recent worsening of my lungs has forced me to face some unpleasant tasks. I realize that if I suddenly died, Michael would have a very difficult time finding where all the financial accounts were, the key to the safe deposit box, would be clueless of what to do when, all of which would make the grieving process even more difficult.

For the past several days, I have been sorting tons of just plain stuff in plastic bins from the attic and an old filing cabinet. The bins contained every check I had ever written in the past 37 years. There were also great finds like the original contract for a Porsche we bought in 1976, letters from my dad, letters from my grandfather, a beautiful tourist-style Old Mexico silk scarf from the 1950’s, newspaper articles about some things I did – all good!, letters Michael’s mom wrote to us while her husband was dying of thyroid cancer, letters my brother wrote to us while he was in college, an old boyfriend’s love letters, and every tax return beginning in 1971!

I sorted into piles: one for shredding, one for recycling and one for trash. The largest of the three was the shredding pile. All those checks! All those tax returns! Yesterday, I found a shredding company near my other rehab, they came to the car and collected three large trash bags and charged me $30.00. Easy.

Only two bins done. Many more to be emptied.

After getting home yesterday, I began to set up the files, which found a home in a newly installed filing cabinet in the guest room closet. In the very first file, I have included a list of all my medications, surgeries and illnesses and my family history. I also included a front page that says to take me to my university hospital and notify the lung transplant clinic upon my arrival. Michael had been concern that he would not know what to do in an emergency. All he has to do is grab this file and hand it to the EMTs.

The next file is the list of all of our accounts including life insurance policies. Banking, retirement, Medicare Set aside. All of them. Included in this file is a list of things to do like contacting all the accounts and changing them to his name only while adding William as the beneficiary. I even included phone numbers. I wrote where the pink slips to the cars were located and even told him to order 10 death certificates. He is going to need them!

Also in that file, I made a separate list of things for William. Two of the accounts – the Workmen’s Comp settlement and the Medicare Set Aside – list him as the beneficiary. I wrote where the accounts are and how he needs to access them. I told him what I wanted done with my instruments and the very last thing I listed is that he needs to take care of his dad. He is going to need him for a while.

The rest of the files are set up for each individual account. It's all there. Michael will have everything he needs in one place.

So it is a beginning. A good start. I have so much more to do. Many more bins to sort.

I will sleep a bit better knowing everything is in place.