Blog
Insights and guides about digital legacy planning and the conversations that matter most.
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What is a legacy letter and why it's more important than a will
A legacy letter passes down your values, stories, and love to the people who matter most. A will distributes your stuff. A legacy letter distributes meaning.
5 legacy letter examples that actually sound like real people
Most legacy letter examples read like greeting cards. These five sound like real people — raw, imperfect, honest. Read them, steal what works, write your own.
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The end of life checklist you'll actually finish
A practical, step-by-step end-of-life checklist you can work through at your own pace — covering legal, medical, financial, personal, and digital decisions.
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Famous last words before death: what they actually said
Steve Jobs said 'Oh wow.' Karl Marx told everyone to get out. What people say at the end tells us more about living than dying — and about your own words.
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When I die, what happens next? The first 48 hours your family faces
When you die, your family won't ponder life's meaning. They'll hunt for passwords and answer questions they weren't ready for. Here's what really happens next.
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What to say to someone who is dying (when every word feels wrong)
You want to say the right thing, but beside someone dying, your mind goes blank. Here's what actually helps — and what the dying themselves say they needed.
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A legacy letter to my daughter: words she'll carry forever
A legacy letter to your daughter is one of the most meaningful gifts you'll ever leave behind — your own words, waiting for the moment she needs them the most.
What to say to someone dying of cancer (from people who've been there)
You want to say the right thing to someone dying of cancer. The right thing isn't a script — it's showing up honestly and letting them lead the conversation.
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What to include in a legacy document: a practical guide
Most people freeze writing a legacy document because they think they need everything. You don't. Here's what to include — memories, values, and honest lessons.
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50+ questions to know your grandparents before it's too late
The questions you'll wish you'd asked your grandparents — organized by category, with tips on starting the conversation before the window closes for good.
Legacy records: what your family needs to know about you
Legacy records go beyond legal documents and bank statements — passwords, stories, medical history, and the practical details your family will desperately need.
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The most valuable family heirlooms aren't what you think
The most valuable family heirlooms rarely have the highest price tag. Here's what actually matters about the objects you pass down — and why some are priceless.
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Passing down family heirlooms: what nobody tells you about the hard parts
Passing down family heirlooms sounds simple until you're deciding who gets the wedding ring. Here's how to handle the hard parts with honesty and no drama.
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Legacy records software: what I wish existed when my family needed it
An honest look at legacy records software — password managers, digital vaults, letter platforms, DIY spreadsheets. What works, what doesn't, and what I learned.
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Essential financial information to include in your legacy document
When you die, can your family find the money? Not just the will — the actual accounts, passwords, and policies. Here's how to build a financial legacy document.
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Writing legacy letters to different people: why one letter isn't enough
Your letter to your child and your letter to your spouse shouldn't sound alike. Here's how to write legacy letters that say the right thing to each person.
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How to store your legacy letters so they actually reach the right people
You wrote a legacy letter. Now what? Where to keep it, how the right people find it, and what to do about passwords and platforms that may not last ten years.
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How to build a final wishes organizer that actually works
Your final wishes don't need a better list — they need a system that holds everything in one place and makes sense to someone else. Here's how to build one.
End of life planning for seniors: what changes after 65
End-of-life planning after 65 is different — Medicare, survivor benefits, POLST forms, long-term care. A straightforward guide for seniors and adult children.
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Sample legacy letters and templates you can actually use
Six legacy letter templates for conversations that matter — the apology, the life lessons, the permission letter, and more. Each includes a sample opening.
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Family heirlooms in the digital age: what actually gets passed down now
Family heirlooms in the digital age aren't just rings and rocking chairs anymore. Here's how to make sure your memories survive the technology that holds them.
Why your legacy letters need end-to-end encryption
Your legacy letters hold confessions, apologies, love notes, and family secrets. End-to-end encryption is the only way to keep them between you and the reader.
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How to protect your family's documents with encryption
End-to-end encryption means nobody between you and your reader can see what you stored — not the company, not a hacker. Here's what it means for your family.
Why you need both digital and physical document copies
One family lost everything on a hard drive. Another lost their files in a fire. Here's why you need both digital and physical copies — and how to set it up.
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Creating family traditions your kids will remember
Family traditions don't need to be elaborate. The ones your kids remember are the simplest — Saturday pancakes, the birthday playlist, the walk nobody planned.
Ensuring your wishes are legally binding
You wrote a beautiful letter and picked your funeral music. But will it hold up? Here's what makes end-of-life wishes legally enforceable, in plain English.
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Family emergency document: what to include and where
If something happened tonight, could your family find the insurance cards? The pediatrician's number? A family emergency document puts it all in one place.
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Mom, I want to hear your story — the questions I wish I'd asked sooner
Mom, I want to hear your story — not the Thanksgiving version, the real one. Your childhood, your fears, who you were before me. Ask her while you still can.
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How to document your final wishes (and actually get it done)
You already know what you want for your end of life. You just haven't written it down. Here's a practical guide to getting your final wishes out of your head.
How to safely store important documents for emergency access
Your important documents are scattered across a kitchen drawer, a filing cabinet, and six email accounts. Here's how to build a system that's safe and findable.
Digital end-of-life planning: what your family needs
When you die, your family will scramble for passwords, cancel subscriptions, and find unknown accounts. Digital end-of-life planning can prevent all of that.
5 documents to leave your family (and which matter most)
Most family document checklists read like a law firm brochure. Here's what actually matters first when someone dies — from someone who learned the hard way.
Keeping traditions alive: how to document and pass on family customs
Family traditions disappear faster than you think. Here's how to document the recipes, rituals, and customs that make your family yours — before they vanish.
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Empty nest marriage: how to rediscover your spouse after the kids leave
When the last kid moves out, you're sitting across from someone you married decades ago, wondering who they became. The empty nest is disorienting — and a gift.
Writing a forgiveness letter that actually heals something
Most forgiveness letters fail because they're really defense briefs in disguise. Here's how to write a legacy letter that owns what happened and actually heals.
Why a legacy document is the most important thing you haven't created yet
You don't need to be rich, old, or sick to create a legacy document. You just need to care about who you'd leave behind. This weekend is a good time to start.
Common parental regrets (and what to do before it's too late)
Parents share their biggest regrets: weekends at the office, phones at bath time, dreams they redirected. These stories might change how you spend tonight.
10 legal documents your family needs (and what they do)
A plain-English guide to the 10 legal documents that protect your legacy — what each one does, what goes wrong without it, and what it costs. Bookmark this.
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What to say to someone whose family member is in hospice
Your coworker told you their mom entered hospice. You froze. Here's what to say, what to stop saying, and why showing up matters more than perfect words.
Personal growth in marriage: how to keep growing without growing apart
Personal growth in marriage isn't about becoming the same person. It's about two people who keep changing and choose each other anyway. Here's how that works.
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How to record your personal history: tools that work
A practical guide to tools for recording your personal history — voice memos, video interviews, annotated photo albums. No fluff, just what actually works.
How a legacy document differs from a will and why it's important
A will handles who gets your stuff. A legacy document handles what it all meant, why you made those choices, and what you want your family to know about you.
How to actually preserve family heirlooms (without ruining them)
My grandmother's wedding ring survived two wars and a house fire. It almost didn't survive my attempt to clean it with dish soap. Here's what I wish I'd known.
Who to write your legacy letter to: a complete guide
Most people think 'spouse and kids' and stop. But your legacy letter recipient list is longer than you realize. Here's who else belongs on it and why.
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When is Grandparents Day? And why it matters more than you think
Grandparents Day falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day. It's not just another calendar date — it's a chance to do something your future self will value.
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How to create an emergency document to prepare for the unexpected
You know you should have an emergency document. You've thought about it a dozen times. Here's how to actually make one, step by step, in a single afternoon.
Essential documents and information required after a loved one passes away
When someone dies, you're handed paperwork before you've had time to cry. Here are the documents you'll need and when you'll need them, all in one clear list.
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What it's like to receive a message from someone who has died
An email arrives on your birthday from your dad — who died six months ago. Here's what it's like to hear from someone after they're gone, and how to set it up.
How to write an advice letter for future generations
Most advice gets ignored because it sounds like a lecture. The advice your grandchildren carry with them sounds like a story. Here's how to write that kind.
Writing a legacy letter about your values and beliefs
Your values weren't formed by wisdom — they were forged by failure. Here's how to write a legacy letter about what you actually believe, not what sounds noble.
Legacy letters and digital wills: a complete planning guide
A will handles your stuff. A legacy letter handles your soul. Here's how to combine both with a digital will so nothing important gets lost when you're gone.
Life lessons to leave your family: finding the real ones
Abstract wisdom like 'be kind' won't stick. The life lessons your family keeps are rooted in specific moments you lived through. Here's how to write them down.
Writing milestone letters: advice for life's big moments
A single legacy letter tries to cover everything and ends up vague. Milestone letters — for graduation, heartbreak, becoming a parent — arrive when needed.
How to document life lessons your family will actually use
Generic advice like 'be kind' won't stick. The life lessons your family keeps are the specific ones — what you learned about money, marriage, grief, and work.
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How to write a memoir when you don't think your life is interesting enough
You don't need a dramatic life to write a memoir worth reading. Every life has a story — you just need to find the thread. Here's how to start writing yours.
How to write a letter of forgiveness to someone who's already gone
Writing a forgiveness letter to someone who died is different. They can't read it or respond. The forgiveness is entirely for you — and that's why it works.
Recording personal history: a gift for your family
Your family doesn't just want to remember what you said — they want to hear you say it. Recording your personal history gives them your voice and your laugh.
Famous last letters in history: what they teach us about writing our own
Sullivan Ballou wrote his wife a week before he died. Virginia Woolf left a note on the mantelpiece. These famous last letters still teach us how to write ours.
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7 ways to strengthen your parent child bond (that actually work)
You don't need a parenting book to strengthen the parent-child bond. You need seven small, repeatable things that fit inside the life you already have today.
The power of presence: why quality time matters more than you think
Quality time isn't the perfect outing. It's the Tuesday you put your phone down and watched your kid build that Lego tower. Presence is what they remember.
Why Google Drive isn't enough for your most important documents
Your will, legacy letters, and insurance policies need more than regular cloud storage. Here's why Google Drive falls short for your most important documents.
How to prepare for death: the action list you've been avoiding
A blunt, step-by-step list for preparing for death — legal, financial, medical, and personal. No philosophy, no softening. Just the next thing you need to do.
Friendship in marriage: the ordinary thing that holds everything together
Friendship in marriage isn't built on grand gestures. It's the inside jokes, boring errands, and texting each other dumb links at 2pm on a random Tuesday.
Why you need a digital emergency record for your family
It's 3am and your spouse is in the ER. Can you find their insurance, medications, and advance directive in under two minutes? A digital emergency record can.
How to write a legacy letter: the complete step-by-step guide
A step-by-step guide to writing a legacy letter — from the blank page to knowing when it's done. Practical prompts, format tips, and honest encouragement.
Legacy planning guide: how to leave a lasting impact through action
Legacy planning goes beyond letters and bank accounts. It's the garden you started, the neighbor you checked on — real impact through what you actually do.
How to document your life story (before it disappears with you)
Your great-grandchildren won't know who you were unless you tell them. Here's how to document your life story without writing a book — starting with what works.
Compromise in marriage: how to meet in the middle without losing yourself
Compromise in marriage sounds simple — meet in the middle. But what happens when the middle keeps moving, and one day you wake up wondering where you went?
Your financial legacy is more than money
Your financial legacy isn't the number in your bank account. It's the relationship with money you model for your kids — the lessons, the mistakes, the honesty.
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How to build your end-of-life planning folder (the actual, physical one)
A step-by-step guide to building a physical end-of-life folder your family can find and use — which binder, which tabs, and what goes in each section.
Why a message after death hits harder than anything you say while alive
A posthumous letter can't be taken back or softened with a nervous laugh. When someone reads your words after you're gone, they know you meant every syllable.
How to write a legacy letter to your grandchildren
A legacy letter to your grandchildren preserves the stories and voice they'll one day wish they could hear again. Here's how to write one that truly matters.
Writing a message to someone who died: why it helps
You have things left to say — maybe an apology, a late thank-you, or just 'I miss you.' Writing a message to someone who died sounds strange until you try it.
Gratitude letters: thanking the people who changed everything
The people who changed your life deserve to know what they did and why it mattered. A gratitude letter isn't general thanks — it's about naming names.
How legacy documents help families heal and connect
A letter found in a desk drawer after the funeral. A recipe book that brought sisters together. Legacy documents help families heal in ways nothing else can.
Comprehensive end of life planning: where to start and what to cover
End-of-life planning covers legal, financial, medical, personal, and digital ground. A big-picture overview that walks you through each area, step by step.
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Digital age parenting: connecting with kids past screens
Screens aren't going away, but neither is your kid's need for you. Here's how real parents stay connected in a world full of devices — without guilt trips.
How to talk to loved ones about end-of-life planning
You know you need to talk to your family about end-of-life planning. The problem is doing it. Here's what works when loved ones change the subject every time.
Creating a family heirloom: starting traditions that last
Most family heirlooms aren't planned — they become heirlooms because someone loved them enough to keep them. Here's how to create traditions that last.
How to write a personal message for after you die
Writing a message for after you die isn't about legacy or wisdom. It's about putting the right words in the right hands at the exact moment they need you most.
How to write a mini biography that your family will actually read
A mini biography isn't a memoir. It's the two-page version of your life that fits in an envelope, gets read more than once, and tells your family who you were.
10 questions to answer in your legacy document
Stuck on your legacy document? These 10 questions cut through the blank page and help you write something honest your family will actually want to read.
Writing your life story in letters: why it works better than a memoir
Most people never finish their memoir. But writing your life story in letters to the people you love? Almost anyone can do that. Here's why it works better.
Hopes and dreams in a legacy letter: a careful guide
Legacy letters about dreams are tricky — there's a fine line between sharing hopes and handing someone a life plan they didn't ask for. Here's how to walk it.
Gratitude in marriage: the small thank-yous that hold everything together
Gratitude in marriage isn't grand gestures. It's noticing the Tuesday dishwasher load and saying something. Those tiny recognitions quietly change everything.
Building a charitable legacy your family will carry on
You don't need a foundation to build a charitable legacy. Families who pass down generosity do it through Saturday mornings, dinner talks, and just showing up.
Final wishes planning: how to make sure yours actually get honored
You have opinions about your funeral, your medical care, how you want to be remembered. Here's how to document your final wishes so they actually get honored.