(401) 307-5556The holidays are such a great time to hit pause and reflect. As we gather around the table for those familiar, comforting meals, dig out ornaments with years of memories, and watch the sheer joy in a child’s eyes, I always think about Charles Dickens. He really nailed it with A Christmas Carol, showing us how our past, present, and future are all beautifully intertwined.
This year, as you celebrate with the people you love most, let’s take a cheerful cue from those three famous spirits and see what they can teach us about protecting the amazing life and legacy you’re building.
The Ghost of Christmas Past: Celebrating Your Roots
I instantly go back to my own holiday history. Every Christmas Eve, my Mom would make a traditional dinner, complete with her grandmother’s pierogies recipe. Christmas morning always brought some fun, exotic fruit in my stocking, and one year, Dad even let me skip school to go pick out the Christmas Tree!
We all do this, right? We keep those traditions alive without even thinking about it. We use the same cookie recipe, the worn decorations, the stories we tell every year. It’s how we keep the connection to our family’s history strong.
Estate plans are like that, too. They’re the perfect bridge connecting the successful life you’ve built to the legacy you want to leave. A smart plan makes sure everything you’ve worked for, whether it is your financial security, those cherished family heirlooms, and most importantly, the peace of mind that your loved ones will be cared for, is passed on exactly as you intended.
The Ghost of Christmas Present: Rolling with the Changes
Here’s the fun part that Christmas Past might forget to mention: traditions are meant to evolve! And that’s a great thing.
Maybe your family now celebrates on Christmas Eve to make everyone’s hectic schedules work. Maybe you’ve added new family members who’ve brought fantastic new customs—like seven fishes instead of a traditional ham, or Hanukkah candles shining right next to the Christmas tree.
The happiest, most resilient families aren’t the ones who cling rigidly to the past. They’re the ones who gracefully hold space for both the way it’s always been and the way it can be now. It’s all about continuity and flexibility.
Your estate plan deserves that same easy-going nature. Life happens! Families grow, assets shift, and laws change. That plan you made 20 years ago? It might need a little holiday refresh to truly reflect your current wishes and today’s rules.
This is why we say estate planning is a conversation, not a one-and-done chore. Regular check-ins ensure your plan bends when life does, just like the best family traditions.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: Estate Planning with a Wink
Okay, here’s the one Dickens originally cloaked in a bit of drama and darkness. But let’s spin it: the “Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come” simply reminds us to be proactive.
The future is coming, ready or not, and it’s full of changes we can’t always see. But unlike Scrooge’s scary vision, your future story is absolutely not set in stone! The positive choices you make today can change the ending completely.
Without a smart, comprehensive estate plan, your family might face:
Long, drawn-out probate proceedings.
Avoidable family disagreements over assets.
Unnecessary taxes taking a bite out of their inheritance.
Tough medical decisions made without your clear guidance.
Guardianship questions for minor children.
Assets being stuck exactly when they need them most.
With a comprehensive estate plan, you give your family the ultimate gift: a clear map in a moment of confusion, a loving direction when they’re grieving, and the assurance that they are absolutely honoring your wishes. You essentially protect them from the worst “what ifs.”
Your Scrooge Moment: A Fun, Fresh Start
The beautiful truth at the heart of A Christmas Carol is this: Scrooge wakes up with a fresh chance. It is absolutely, 100% not too late to change the ending of your own story.
If you don’t have a plan yet, or if yours hasn’t seen the light of day in a few years, let this season be your gentle, festive wake-up call. The spirits have popped by, the message is clear, and the best choice is now yours to make!
