The Things We Wish We Knew: Contacts

Yesterday I told you that for the next few days, I'm going to write about things we have learned are important to gather in one location so someone can find them if something should happen to us. This is a lesson we've learned the hard way after the death of Ryan's mom and stepdad, and we are working to make sure we tend to some of these things now, should anything happen to either one (or both) of us. 

Today's topic? Contact lists!

I used to keep a paper address book. (Anyone? Anyone?) It became so messy, with changes necessary every time people moved, got married, got divorced, passed away, had children, or changed phone numbers. Eventually I moved to a Word document version of an address book, because it is SO much easier to edit! And that is what inspired my list for today. 

* Address and phone number lists for friends and family. I am the keeper of the "address book" in our family. But if something happened to me, Ryan would need to know the names and addresses of the people who are in our circle of friends and family. And if something happens to both of us, someone else might need to know how to reach out to this group of people. However you keep your list - go through and update it. If people have moved, update the addresses. If names have changed, reflect them. If some have died, note that - so no one tries to contact them. That can be awkward! 

* Emergency contacts. While it's good to have the full list of anyone and everyone you know, it's also a good idea to make a list of people who should be notified in the event of an emergency. (Think: who shouldn't find out about this news on social media or second-hand?) For example...I generally know who my parents' friends are, but if something happened and I need to reach out, there are probably some people I wouldn't think to contact. When you make this list, put the name, the preferred method of contact, the necessary contact information, and your relationship to the person.

* Contacts for your kids. We don't have children, but if we did, we would definitely want to make sure we had on hand all the contact information for people in their worlds. Schools. Teachers. Doctors. Counselors. Babysitters. Dentists. Guardians (in the event that we were incapacitated). Friends (or parents of friends) who might be important to them and be a support to them in a difficult time. 

* Contacts for your pets. Your pets might not have quite as many people as your kids, but you definitely want to make sure anyone who comes in to care for your pets knows who to call! Vets. Groomers. Pet sitters. Boarding kennels. Pets take change pretty seriously, so being able to keep them with the people they know is important! And if there is someone you would want to adopt your pets in the event that something happens to you - make sure you have them listed, too! (Might also want to make sure you talk to them about that first!)

* Church people. In most cases, the people closest to you are going to know where you attend church and who your pastor is, but this is still an important area to note. Some churches have multiple pastors on staff, so if you're particularly connected to certain ones, you'll want to note which pastor to contact. If your church has a prayer chain that you would want someone to contact if you are sick or injured, leave that phone number or email address. If you're part of any responsibilities that would warrant a contact, list that. (For example, f you are a Sunday School teacher or greeter or nursery worker, you might want to list someone to call about that.) 

* Work contacts. List anyone and everyone at your work that should be contacted if something happens to you. This would include supervisors, coworkers, and employees you supervise. This is also a good time to think about the work you do - and if there are any notes that should be left for someone at your work to take over, leave that in a place it can be passed along - and mention the name of the person who should receive it. 

* All the business stuff. Make lists of everyone you have done or are doing business with. The attorney who made your will. Every bank or credit union where you have an account (and any particular people you talk to there). Your financial planner and/or investment broker. Your insurance agent. Your mechanic. Your hair stylist/massage therapist/nail tech/barber. Your counselor. The person who cleans your house or tends to your yard. Anyone teaching you lessons or classes. Your gym. And it's good to have a list of all the places where you have regular bills: utilities, mortgage, car payments, student loans, memberships, etc. Think through the people and places you work with on a weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual basis so you someone can be prepared to stop services if needed. 

Also - if you own your own business, big or small, you will want to have a separate list of all the people and places you work with in relation to your business. This includes anyplace you owe money to, any suppliers for products, any shop (physical or online) that sells your product, any clients you serve, and anyplace where you have recurring bills. 

* All the medical stuff. Doctors. Dentists. Specialists. Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapists. Also be sure to include if there are any particular people you prefer to speak with at any of these offices. (I know some people hardly ever see their actual doctors, but they might see a PA or NP at the office regularly, so that person should be mentioned on the list.)

I realize with what I am about to say, my Bekah-ness is showing. Not everyone is as detailed as I am, and that is okay. But as you make these lists, I encourage you to list as much information as possible that could be helpful to someone in your absence. Remember that just because you know something doesn't mean someone else will just automatically know it. It's better to leave more information than necessary than to cut corners and leave questions. 

Another important thing to keep in mind is to regularly update these list. If you leave one gym for another, make sure you update that once everything is closed out at the previous gym. Maybe put these lists on a rotation to be glanced over each month so you can make sure they're always up-to-date. Having lists really doesn't help if they're not accurate. 

This post (and most of them I write over the next few days) has largely been inspired by the loss of Allen and Nita, but I do want to also mention that these pieces of information are also important to have collected in the event of a natural disaster. Remember when my sister and brother-in-law lost their home in the tornado a few years ago? All of this sort of information was important for them to have, too. They were still here (for which we are so, so thankful) but their minds were overwhelmed with the shock of the loss. I don't even know what kinds of records they salvaged and what they lost, but having lists like these are as important in a natural disaster (fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, etc.) as they are in an illness or death. And this is why it's important to also keep some records in either a safe room in your home or even better - in an offsite location.