I brought along my peacock and elephant and flower stationery to my parents’ to help motivate me as I try to make sense of my parents’ financial paperwork — eldercare finances are COMPLICATED.
Ridiculously pretty stationery (courtesy Rifle Paper Co. and papayaart.com) IS helping a little, but not as much as you might think. No one in my family is particularly good at this stuff, and I think I have more mental space to tackle it over the next few months (no summer teaching) than anyone else, so I’m giving it a go, but I may have to pull out the colored markers and highlighters to sustain my stamina.
If I start hunting for Kevin’s fancy pens with fancy ink, then you’ll know I’m in real trouble, and should send legions of bookkeepers and accountants with soothing tea.
(Cousins, if you haven’t started on this with your parents, then just take my recommendation to start sooner, rather than later. If you’re in your 40s, it’s probably time to start. Ask me if you have questions.)
