Introducing Partnering 101: A Deep Dive into Leaving Kindly
Introducing Partnering 101: A Deep Dive into Leaving Kindly
Series: Partnering 101: A Deep Dive Into Leaving Kindly (1 of 10)
In October 2020 my sister learned her husband of 26 years had a rare form of cancer. In May 2021 they learned he wouldn’t survive the cancer. In June they madly prepared for the inevitable. On July 3rd (my oldest son’s 20th birthday), my brother-in-law died. The months that followed, and still follow, have been incredibly difficult and challenging on so many levels for my sister. Although they did their best to get their affairs in order for the several weeks prior to his death, it was simply an impossible task. And now she grapples with difficult tasks in unknown territory and endless red tape.
Events like these cause all of us to pause and ask the big questions about both life and death. As a woman married to my husband for 28 years now, I too, pause. Are we prepared any better than my sister and her husband? Could I possibly learn from her experience? Could I have anything to share with the world as I learn my own lessons?
What follows is a ten-part series specifically designed for life partners to work together to prepare for the sometimes unexpected but always inevitable. Here I will guide you and join you as we take a deep dive into rarely touched or discussed but vital topics. My goal is that you will each be left in a better position should your partner’s health decline, he or she become incapacitated, or die before you. If we do this well - you and your spouse or partner and me and mine - we should become more organized, have greater clarity, and improved communication. If we do this right, we will leave our partner positioned well and with far fewer headaches to deal with in the midst of heartache. We will leave kindly.
What follows is a ten-part series specifically designed for life partners to work together to prepare for the inevitable.
So grab your partner. Show them this newsletter and ask them to join you for nine very special date nights in the following weeks. Take it at your own pace - but DO IT. Each Thursday I will publish an article exploring a new topic which you and your partner can explore together. Topics include: “Who I am”, “What I do", “What I know”, “My creations”, “At the end: Final Disposition”, and “What I own/owe”. I will also provide organizational tools to track your discussions and catalog vital information and decisions. (You may even have some “homework”.) Additionally, each week I will share a few tips for effectively communicating with your partner. We will begin with the easy stuff and then move on to ever-growing levels of difficulty.
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Spread the word - At Brendabrayko.substack.com you can find a growing series of LIFE CHEAT SHEETS. I now have a completed 12-part series geared toward parents of seniors in high school and others transitioning a child out of the home called “Adulting 101 Coupons” AND this new series for couples called “Partnering 101: A Deep Dive into Leaving Kindly”. Just click on the purple button to share!