“It Has Been Such a Good Life”: The Legacy Your Loved Ones Need
When Anna Harp lost her father, Rudolph Clausing, she didn’t get to say goodbye. It was January 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her dad had been battling lung disease when he contracted the virus, and strict hospital protocols meant his family couldn’t be by his side in his final days. Anna was just 27. Her father was 66. And in an instant, he was gone.
But in the aftermath of her father’s passing, as her mother gathered his things from the hospital, she discovered something Anna never expected—a notebook, and inside it, a note scrawled in her dad’s handwriting:
“It has been such a good life.”
Seven simple words. And yet, to Anna, they were everything.
What Your Family REALLY Values After You’re Gone
This touching story reveals something profound about what loved ones truly need after someone dies. While we often focus on financial inheritance and legal documents, the reality is that your loved ones will treasure your humanity, your love, and your guidance far more than any material wealth you leave behind.
In the immediate aftermath of losing someone you love, money becomes secondary to the desperate need for connection, comfort, and understanding. They’ll be searching for pieces of you, trying to feel your presence, and longing to know what you would have wanted them to do.
When you die without sharing your deeper thoughts and feelings, your loved ones are left with an emotional void that no amount of money can fill. They may spend years wondering what you were thinking, whether you were proud of them, or how you would have handled certain situations.
The people who struggle most after losing someone aren’t necessarily those with financial problems—they’re the ones who feel emotionally adrift because they don’t know how to find peace after their loved one has died.
The True Legacy of Love: Clear Communication and Guidance
The best way to help your family find peace is by passing on your love. Love is expressed through preparation and clear communication.
When you take time to share your thoughts, values, and wishes with your family, you’re giving them a roadmap for navigating life without you. This isn’t just about end-of-life care or funeral arrangements—it’s about providing the emotional support and practical guidance they’ll need for years to come.
Clear communication also prevents the kind of family conflicts that can destroy relationships after someone dies. When everyone understands your wishes and the reasoning behind them, there’s less room for misunderstanding or manipulation.
Unfortunately, traditional estate planning often misses this crucial need. It focuses solely on legal documents, as if dying is a purely financial transaction. But true legacy is about more than money.
Create Your Own Legacy of Love Through Life & Legacy Planning
Life & Legacy Planning is so much more than traditional estate planning. It prepares your loved ones for a life without you. Here’s how:
You Create Clarity, Not Just Documents
Life & Legacy Planning ensures that your family has guidance when they need it most. They’ll know where to find important documents, how to access accounts, and what steps to take first. Most importantly, they’ll understand your wishes about the things that matter most—like how you want your children raised, what family traditions you want to pass on, and the stories you want remembered.
You Prepare Your Loved Ones for Financial Realities
A strong plan addresses not just assets, but how your loved ones will actually manage day-to-day realities: the mortgage, education costs, long-term financial security. These answers don’t come from documents alone.
You Leave a Piece of Yourself
Through the Life & Legacy RecordingⓇ, you can speak directly to your loved ones. Share your stories, your values, your encouragement, and your love. Unlike a note discovered by chance, your recording will be there when they need it most—a permanent reminder of your wisdom and presence.
You Give Them a Guide and an Ongoing Relationship
We don’t stop at creating documents. We review and update your plan as life changes, and we build an ongoing relationship so your family is never left without guidance. If I’m not available, the Personal Family LawyerⓇ network ensures another trusted advisor can step in.
Let’s Build a Plan That Leaves No Questions—Only Love
If you want to create a plan that leaves a legacy, don’t wait. Life is unpredictable. But your love doesn’t have to be.
As your Personal Family Lawyer® Firm, I’ll help you create a Life & Legacy Plan that protects your family legally, prepares them emotionally, and leaves behind the greatest gift you could ever give—the gift of your love.
👉 Schedule your complimentary 15-minute discovery call today here so we can create a plan that helps you say:
“It has been such a good life.”
