Wealth Management
Renew & Reset
April 14, 2026
Lucy, 38, is married with two children. Although her husband and children are happy and healthy, Lucy is devastated over the health of her mother. Lucy’s mother, 68, has been battling cancer and it was starting to advance. When Lucy would visit her mother, she would always reference a small black box in her bedroom closet that had all her important documents. These documents included her living will, health care proxy and durable power of attorney; all pertinent information Lucy would need as her mother’s disease progressed. During her visits, Lucy would get frustrated that her mother consistently brings up this topic. Knowing her mom’s future was short, Lucy wanted to spend quality time enjoying conversations with her mom that didn’t consistently revolve around the black box in the closet.
One morning, Lucy received the unfortunate call that her mother’s illness had worsened and that she required hospice care. Lucy, along with her other family members, gathered at her mother’s home. Upset and confused, Lucy’s family was unsure of what the next steps to take were. As if on auto pilot, Lucy remembered the black box in the closet. In there she found her mother’s health care directive, living will, trust documents, and additional paperwork that would be needed. This made the transition process to hospice and ultimately her passing a little easier for Lucy and her family to deal with.
The black box Lucy’s mother had created ahead of time provided her family with the confidence that their mother’s wishes and her legacy would be carried through as she had intended.
Lucy, now thinking of her own family’s wellbeing, spoke with her Financial Professional, Simon, about her experience. Simon worked with Lucy and her attorney, Frank, to create her own version of “The Black Box”. Today, Lucy has confidence that if anything unexpected were to happen to her, her family would be well taken care of and will be able to follow her instructions on how she intends her medical and legacy wishes to be carried through.
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