“What are you doing the rest of today?,” I asked my daughter as we bid farewell following a college game day weekend in Tuscaloosa on Sunday.
“I’m meeting my friend at the coffee shop to study and catch up on homework.”
Turns out that on this same weekend, my sister-in-law from New York was touring USC in Columbia with my nephew who is a Junior in high school and they had a chance to catch up with OUR son and take him to dinner and restock his groceries.
We called my sister-in-law on our way home from Tuscaloosa to get the low-down on Drew since he’s not the “great communicator” by any means.
Turns out that he was also super busy this weekend studying for a big Russian test on Monday.
Whoa, I forgot how much work college really is.
Sure, it’s still the best ever “four year bubble” with loads of freedom and zero financial responsibility (at least for our kids and me too when you consider the deferred financial freedom that student loans bought me in college).
Although a busy time, it sure is an exciting time for my kids as they begin to find their way in the world.
Jill is on track to graduate with her Masters in Marketing and a Minor in Public Relations. Plus, she is involved in two leadership positions on campus, including a student-run fundraiser to raise money for the local food bank which will also be featured on an upcoming episode of CNN.
Drew entered USC this year in the Honors College with a declared major in International Business and Finance. He’s now thinking he also wants to major in Russian. A Triple Major! “He’s a little more motivated than I was in college,” my husband recently quipped.
Sorry if this all sounds braggadocio but my point is not to brag on my kids (though Andrew and I are very proud of them).
My point is that there are lots of different paths that we choose to take as we live our lives. What should we study? What organizations should we become involved with? Who should we date? Where should we live? What occupation do we choose?
There are no right or wrong choices in my opinion; just lots of endless exciting possibilities.
And the good news is that rarely is a choice a one-way street. Most of the choices we make in life are reversible and detours are inevitable. [Hence, my six year stint as a Mary Kay Sales Director driving a Pink Cadillac prior to my return to the law when I founded My Pink Lawyer® in 2008.]
I like to think of my life as a Choose Your Own Adventure Book. Remember those?
Just as we face many different choices every single day in our lives, so too you have many different options as you design a Life & Legacy Estate Plan that serves the needs of you and your family.
Our attorneys brainstorm ideas with our clients at our Life & Legacy Planning Meetings while reassuring them that there is no one perfect estate plan design, but rather, many great design options that will serve their loved ones’ needs.
You choose the design option that feels like the best fit now and we can readjust and pivot in the future as your family’s needs change.
Andrew and I are excited to see how our kids’ futures unfold over the next several years. I just hope they don’t get too busy to forget about dear ole’ mom and dad. At least we can expect a call home when they need money!
Kristen “Choosing Her Own Adventure” Marks
P.S. As exciting as designing your Life & Legacy Estate Plan can be, there are still pitfalls to watch out for which I will be discussing at a FREE lunch workshop that I will be co-hosting on Thursday, December 12th, 2019 at the Fish House in Pensacola. Plus, if you attend, you’ll see me in fine fiddle having just returned from my solo silent 24 hour 50th Birthday retreat the day before!
Space is limited for this FREE lunch workshop. RSVP by calling our office: 850-439-1191
