Last month, I got one of those calls that hits you like a punch to the gut. My cousins called to let me know that my Uncle Steve had passed away in Chicago. It was totally unexpected. I’d just seen him recently at his granddaughter’s bat mitzvah—and he looked great. We laughed, we talked, he was full of life. And then… he was gone.
So why am I writing about my Uncle Steve in a blog post? Because his passing hit me in a different way. It made me realize: I’m now the “next generation up.” 
What Does That Mean?
It means my parents are gone. All my aunts and uncles—on both sides—are gone. And now, it’s just my sisters and me. We’re the next ones in line, if you follow the natural order of life.
Yeah, it sounds kind of depressing. And in some ways, it is. You start to realize you’re not as young as you used to be. I’ve had a hip replacement and a knee replacement, so believe me—I know!
But it’s also not depressing. Not really. It’s a wake-up call. It’s a reminder that we all need to face our mortality head-on and be okay with it.
My Wake-Up Call Came Years Ago
Nine years ago, I had a 100% blockage in my “widow-maker” artery. I survived. Not everyone does. That experience completely changed the way I looked at life. I realized I wasn’t afraid of dying. I stopped sweating the small stuff. That mental shift? Total game-changer.
And now, with Uncle Steve’s passing, I’ve gotten another unexpected gift: It’s time to live. Really live. My wife and I have spent our entire adult lives giving everything we had to our two amazing kids. Ally is now a nurse practitioner, looking for her first job. Jason’s finishing his first year of law school—and yes, it’s all paid for (thank goodness).
Now it’s “us time.” We finally went to London—my first time—and it was awesome. Japan’s up next, because it’s been on my wife’s list forever.
So Here’s the Real Point
If you’ve made it this far, I want you to take away just one thing:
Life is short. Make sure your affairs are in order, and then go enjoy it.
I help my clients get their estate planning done so they can stop worrying and start living. I’ve seen what happens when people don’t plan. It’s a mess. Don’t leave your family in a mess. And don’t wait for a health scare or a loss to shake you into action.
I hope this post wasn’t a downer—but rather a push in the right direction.
Take care of your future. Then take care of yourself.
As always—be safe and live well.
Ready to get your plan in place so you can focus on what really matters? Request a Consultation today.