Debt of Ingratitude

To my beloved family, I leave you…

Should I really go through with this? I know that they think I am some kind of millionaire, having worked so hard and not having a direct heir to whom to leave my estate. Lord knows, my brother and five sisters’ children (many of them) are all still looking for a piece of the proverbial pie. The thing is, most of them have received their pies— a car pie, a college tuition pie, a wedding pie, a house pie, an Auntie-I’m-broke-again pie—then come back for more, and never returned so much as a pie dish.

I want to honor my family, but is more money truly the way to do it? Tossing cash and writing checks has not proven to be successful in the past. It has not benefited them any; the only change has been turning me into a living, breathing ATM, open 24/7. Perhaps leaving them a more precious inheritance would be best. God willing, they will come to see the value of it in due time.

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Carrie: “Can you believe she died in her sleep the very night she revised her will with her lawyer? Auntie sure had some timing!”

Shelby: “I’m just thankful she passed peacefully in her sleep. Godmother deserved that much.”

Carrie: “Hey, she’s my Godmother, too, remember! The only reason she picked you as Executor is your husband is a lawyer, and she loved him. We really should have been Co-Executors to be fair. I’ll probably get more in the will to make up for it.”

Disgusted, Shelby wordlessly walks away from her cousin and almost smiles on the inside at her task to come. This family is in for a rude awakening, and it will be her distinct pleasure to sound the alarm. Shelby felt honored when Godmother first broached the subject of choosing her as Executor of her estate.  Godmother reasoned that Shelby would ensure that her wishes were carried out and that she was strong enough to handle the family’s backlash.

“Godmother, I am feeling abundantly strong—Let’s do this,” Shelby thinks in a silent prayer-chat to her adored aunt as she calls everyone to attention. Getting them to hear her is no easy task, with the family being so large (and hungry for what they assume is to come).

They are all gathered, per Godmother’s wishes, at Godmother’s vacation home in Cape Cod. For many in the family, this was an oasis as Godmother was more than generous about sharing it, without a fee or a word when things got broken and left unfixed or taken and not replaced.  Shelby was one of the first to stay here back when she was just a child, as Godmother wanted her to help fix up the place after she purchased it. Fortunately, after retiring, Godmother did “schedule” herself in more time down here, to have her own escapes. During the height of COVID-19, Godmother moved in for months to quarantine. 

Shelby looked around the cozy living room, at the afghans sprawled across the top of the couch and reclining chairs, the ocean-themed artwork on the walls, and the candelabra resting in the fireplace, telling herself it is just a house. Memories continued to flood in of Godmother and her here, back from when Shelby was ten-years-old up until recently, sharing wine on the deck. Shelby thought of vacations that her husband, daughter, and young son had enjoyed here in the past few years. 

Just as the tears crept in, her eyes rested on the list of Cape House rules that sat on the hutch, mostly ignored by guests who would take full advantage of Godmother’s kindness.  Her resolve for the task at hand immediately renewed, she yelled, “Anyone interested in hearing Auntie’s will, outside now. I am reading it in 3 minutes.”

Crossing through the dining room and the most recently added sunroom, Godmother’s favorite spot in the house, Shelby walked with determination to the back porch and into the yard. Chairs stood in lines like soldiers preparing for battle, and a podium and microphone waited silently before them. Shelby took her place at the podium and observed as her family began bustling outside. They were all a-buzz with energy and loud conversation. Although she should have expected it, Shelby was taken aback for a moment by the lively, excited vibes emanating from the crowd. Their celebratory mood only steeled her for the reading of the will, making her all the more willing and able to drop the hammer.

Shelby’s calls for quiet and attention were ineffectual. She waited a beat, and when the buzzing continued, she finally called on her brother-in-law, Chuck, to send out his ear-piercing whistle. This cut through the din long enough for him to shout, “Everyone shut up and sit down!” Then he turned to her and said with warm eyes and a smile, “Floor’s all yours, Shelby,” before sitting down next to her sister,  who gave Shelby a conspiratorial nod and a wink of her eye.

Shelby began with a prayer and a moment of silence to honor their dearly departed aunt. From there, she explained that Auntie had asked her to gather the family here at the Cape House for the reading of her will. 

“As Executor, per Auntie’s request, it is my responsibility to see that Auntie’s wishes, down to the letter, are carried out, and that is exactly what I intend to do, no matter what. Okay, everyone, settle in. We will now begin the reading of Auntie’s Last and Final Will and Testament.”

Shelby reads, clearly and with conviction, the following:

To my beloved family, I leave you the entirety of…

...my heart estate. I leave you all the love and joy that I have had for and with you since the day you were each born. Please continue to share it amongst yourselves and with the world.

...my faith bank. I leave you all my faith in God and all of you. Trust in Him, His plan for each of us and God Bless. Remember the confidence that I have in you to make it on your own and to succeed. Keep believing, keep dreaming, keep praying, and keep doing!

…my wisdom gems. I leave you the benefit of my life experience, through the stories I have told you, and the advice I have given you over the years. Even if you opted not to listen before, remember, now that I am gone. Learn from my life and your own.

…my happiness currency. I leave you my smiles and laughter. Have fun in your life and dare to enjoy it to its fullest. 

Finally, I leave you grace, dignity, and poise. Go on to lead meaningful lives with your head held high, your feet firmly grounded, and your heart always in the right place, as mine is as I write this.

Another shrill whistle cuts through the air as Chuck silences the chatter and the expressions of outrage, of utter disbelief. Shelby goes on,

          Regarding my Earthly possessions, the family house in the city will remain in the family upon my death, as it has for two generations now. Shelby is now the owner of the city property and is free to do with it as she pleases. She is under no obligation to keep it, or to loan it, rent it or sell it to family and may choose to maintain it or sell it for its current value. Any proceeds from a sale of the house belong to Shelby alone.

          The Cape House is to be sold immediately. Please take this time to say your goodbyes to the house and pack the good memories with you when you leave. Carry them with you always. Proceeds from the sale of the Cape House, along with any monies, pensions, 401 K accounts, stocks, bonds, jewelry value, and all other possessions, will be donated to the Church.

God is Good. Love and God Bless!