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Greatest Love Stories
When a new employee comes to work at our office, I tell them that they need to pay careful attention: The greatest love stories in the world walk through our doors.
I ask new employees to read “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks. It is quite a tearjerker of a story. It also has a powerful message about the power of love and the wonder of commitment.
I will occasionally share some of these stories in our newsletters, as they deserve telling. I do so with permission from the clients involved. The stories are true, though we may change names at the client’s discretion.
We recently met with Cindy, a local businesswoman. She is a friend, a client, and a single mother to two children, one out of college and the other in her junior year. Cindy’s only sibling is her sister Katharine, who lives in Texas.
Cindy had solid and dependable support, encouragement, and love from her parents, Richard and Judith. They were always there for her, as solid footing to support her through her ups and downs.
Cindy was divorced in 2011 when her children were 17 and 10. During Cindy’s divorce, her parents provided her and her children with constant encouragement, support, and assistance.
Cindy’s parents created a Living Trust estate plan in 2017 to assist with their affairs at death or disability. They named Cindy as a current serving trustee.
Unfortunately, Mom and Dad have experienced ongoing memory problems in the intervening years, becoming more challenging.
Cindy was their primary support system. They wanted to remain in the home where they had lived for over 50 years. Cindy hired help during the day while she worked full-time and spent a few hours with them each day after work and on the weekends. Eventually, circumstances made it impossible for her father, and then almost a year later, her mother, to safely remain at home. Cindy worked diligently and located excellent placements for them in single-family group homes nearby. Unfortunately, after 60+ years of marriage, Richard and Judith were separated due to their different needs and capabilities.
Then COVID hit. Cindy then had to serve as the primary support for her Mom and Dad, whom she could not get in to see or help take care of other than provide phone support and occasional through-the-door visits. She did that faithfully for over a year and a half.
Her children are now mostly grown, although her youngest is still in college. Dad recently died, and she came in to review the trust and actions steps. She continues doing a fantastic, loving job looking after her Mom. She manages Mom’s affairs while juggling multiple other essential responsibilities.
Cindy deserves appreciation and recognition for the care and dedication she has given to her parents and continues to provide for her mother. Hers is a story of great love. She and her family certainly deserve that.
