Friends,

The coronavirus pandemic has made us all pause, evaluate, and pivot. Many of us are working from home, if we were fortunate enough to have retained our jobs. We are schooling our children in our dining rooms while they greet their teachers and classmates through the screens of their laptops. Things have undoubtedly changed. These changes prompt us to ask the crucial questions:

What are your plans? How should you plan? What if this extends out for some time? What if we can’t get back to our lives as we knew them? What if…? If you have done estate planning, you’re no stranger to these types of questions. What if I am still alive? What happens when I am not? Who is central to all of this. As we face this increasingly scary pandemic, it is troubling to know that only 37% of Americans have a will. How will these questions be answered in your absence if the worst should occur?

As we harness our power this week, I am encouraging you to plan! Let’s have some real conversation about the what ifs and what you will need to do for yourself and your family, given different possibilities. How will you pivot if you need to? And who can help you?

You know I will always be here for advice, but there are others in your immediate circle with whom you need to talk. The time to plan is now, before you need to take action. Don’t wait! Start talking and start planning. My father once told me that the time do the thing you would do in a pinch is before you get in the pinch. Harness your power!

Dr. Lisa