The Things We Wish We Knew: Stuff and Things

The last couple of days' posts felt heavy to me...which is understandable, since this topic I'm covering is heavy in general. So today I thought I would try to pick something that might have at least more of a creative spin on it for those of you who are like me and prefer creativity to numbers. :) 

If you're just hopping in after a few days away, I'm writing a series of posts about things that are helpful to document in the event that anything happens to you and others have to step in and tend to your affairs. Two days ago I wrote about contact lists that are important to have, and yesterday I wrote about money and bills and such. 

Today? The stuff and things. 

First up, I want to mention something that might be more helpful in the event of a natural disaster than a death or illness. This bullet point stems from what I remember my sister talking about after the tornado that destroyed her home. 

* Home Inventory List. Depending on the type of homeowner's/renter's insurance you have, you may be asked to submit an itemized list of what you own. Apparently your possessions are very much an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing when you're trying to make a list. You think you know what you own until you don't own it anymore...and suddenly you forget! So while you have the time, it could be in your best interest to make a home inventory list so you have some of that information at the ready when you need it. 

My sister actually found a book with ideas on this back when she was going through it. I'm sure there are also list guides on Pinterest and Etsy if you need some assistance. Making an inventory of your home can be an undertaking. I did some of it when we moved last year, even though I'd like to go through and do even more. (Pictures are a really helpful thing when doing an inventory...so you could start there and fill in lists as you can.) 

* Stories Behind the Stuff. I've written before about how we've tried to minimize our possessions, but we definitely want the things we own to matter and tell a story. I love walking through our home, seeing items, and remembering where they came from, who gave them to us, or what they represent in our lives. But for the most part, only Ryan and I know those stories. 

While you don't need to write out the story of every single thing you've ever acquired, it might be a sweet idea to document the stories of the things that matter most, so when they're passed on to someone else, that person can know the full story behind the piece. 

This is also really helpful if you have items that are heirlooms dating back to previous generations. Do your children or grandchildren know the stories you've always known by heart? 

* Delegating Items to Specific People. Part of this crosses over into what you would include in a will, but I'm still going to mention it here. If you have a possession that you particularly want to go to someone in your life, you have to put that in writing. (And in most cases, you need to put it in legal writing.) 

Whether it's a big ticket item, like your home, a vehicle, or a piece of jewelry, or a financially small item - like a collection of books - it's important to note who you want things to go to. This one can get to be pretty sticky, I'm sure, in some families. (Thankfully we've encountered people playing nice in our experience, but I'm confident that is not always the case.) 

If you've mentioned to a family member or friend that he or she can have something when you're gone, they're probably counting on that being true. If they find out that wasn't ever documented, you could set your children/grandchildren up for some rough relationships in your absence. 

This is also important if you have items you would like to have donated to specific organizations or charities. Make sure you get that noted legally as well. 

One more quick note on this one, too. I saw this on Instagram a while back and thought it was a sweet idea. Some of you might know the name Luci Swindoll. She was one of the original members of the Women of Faith team. She passed away a few months ago, and a few weeks after her death, one of her friends in ministry posted about getting a package in the mail. Inside were some treasures Luci had owned that she wanted this friend to have. It was an unexpected gift and came with a note about what this friend had meant to her and how Luci would want her to continue in ministry. When it comes to leaving things to others, we usually think about our family members, but it might be a sweet gift to offer something to friends who walked with you in life. 

* Mention Anything of Value or Notes of Appraised Values. You know how they say that one man's trash is another man's treasure? It's also true that something that may look like trash could actually be treasure. If you own things that you know hold monetary value, make a note of it. It would be awful for your loved ones to pitch something, thinking it's junk, only to find out it's worth something and they could have sold it. Likewise, if you have something appraised, keep the paperwork on that! It might be helpful later. 

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I'm sure different people approach the "stuff and things" of life differently, and that is okay. Maybe the stuff doesn't matter to you (or your loved ones) at all. But if it does - or if you just want to ease the burden of sorting through things, I would encourage you to think about a few of these ideas while you have the time!