Last week my parents' estate finally got settled. My mother passed first, a few years ago, and as these things so often go, my father slid downhill fast and joined her. When the final distribution checks arrived to the three siblings, I emailed my sister in New York and my brother near Los Angeles to call out something extraordinary: The three of us had navigated the distribution of the estate, and a million decisions, (with my sister in the lead) without a single disagreement. Not one. If you have witnessed sibling behavior during this sort of situation, you know it is unusual to have no disputes. Sometimes you don't know what your parents taught you until you DON'T have a problem. I was deeply impressed with whatever they did to make the three of us so reasonable.As lawyers, we naturally deal with strife and conflict between family members on a regular basis. It is good to see that these matters can be resolved between family members without grief and misery.
Read the rest of the posting to see how an old chair can become an important part of someone's life.
Happy New Year to all.
