🦆🪿🦆🪿🦆🪿Ducks in a Row🦆🪿🦆🪿🦆🪿
No, I'm not herding real ducks, though that might have been easier than the class that I just completed! DUCKS IN A ROW was all about getting your affairs in order before you're outta here. Think of it as a timeline + checklist + a gentle nudge to stop procrastinating and start planning.The class (taken through the Roanoke County Parks and Rec Brambleton Center) consisted of 3 2-hour sessions, once a week for 3 weeks.
***The fall DUCKS CLASSES are scheduled for Mondays, Sept 8, 15, and 22, 5:30-7:30PM or Tuesday, Sept 9, 16, and 23, 10AM-12PM. Registration opens August 10 through Roanoke County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism (Brambleton Recreation Center)***
As noted above, the class was $75......money well spent. (SHHHHHHHHH.....don't tell anyone, but as the class concluded, a whole lot more money was involved,😂😂😂but in a good way as you will soon discover!).
Planning for the end of life isn't exactly cocktail party chatter--but it is one of the kindest things you can do for the people you love. DUCKS IN A ROW is a class designed to help you create a timeline and plan for organizing your personal, legal, and financial affairs---before things get messy(or mysterious).
The class followed the guidelines from the workbook, book, and the highly valued instruction of Joyce Waugh(Boy, did she ever have her ducks in a row!!!!!).
WEEK 1:
Some of us in the class were way ahead of others in the class, in having the necessary documents, deeds, certificates, wills, advance directives, etc, and some of us were way behind in having our ducks in a row😊.............. But this class wasn't a race. It was a golden opportunity to organize a part of our lives that would be helpful to us or someone else. 
My new notebook was filled with copies of birth certificates, wills, deeds to property, car titles, passwords, social security numbers, healthcare directives, marriage license, copies of insurance cards, medical records, copies of utility bills, etc. (seriously, I have 3 pages of passwords🙄)...... every aspect of my personal, legal, and financial life.
Our homework for the first week, consisted of creating a notebook and gathering a mammoth amount of information(to have in one designated place) to have at our fingertips whenever necessary. (I enjoyed putting a little humor into naming my notebook😂😂😂)
We walked through the "to-do stuff", the "I'll get to it someday's", and the "Wait, I need that?". Favorite casserole recipes? Sure! Basically all of the stuff your loved ones wish you'd organize before you go floating off into the great beyond😂. I could almost begin to feel a sense of relief, some newfound friends, and maybe even a laugh or two, as I added information to my notebook. The clarity and anxiety began to dwindle. I was taking control of how my story is wrapped up....with intention and grace. After all, it's not about expecting the worst....... it's about preparing well, so I can live the rest of my days with greater peace of mind. 
Evergreen Memorial Cemetery helped us decide the details for graveside services, ie tent, chairs, etc. In case of inclement weather, Evergreen offers their lovely indoor facilities at no extra fee. Prepaying for their services locked in the prices. No, not every minute detail has been planned, but the financial part is soon to be completed. 🙌🙌🙌
This experience was a 'NEW TO ME AT 76 ' experience. Actually it came in at #76!!!!!!!!!! If you know, you know! 😊😊😊
Week 2: 
Getting your affairs in order shouldn't feel like a funeral--it should feel like a favor (to yourself, and to everyone who'd otherwise be stuck guessing your favorite coffee order, or your favorite song.). Number 6 in the session #2 outline stood out like a sore thumb😮⬆️⬆️⬆️. Ron and I had discussed many options that, given a choice, we would like to see played out! But we had not formally addressed our desires! So... we did! Not only did we make decisions about WHERE our final resting place would be, we meticulously detailed advance planning with the funeral home. We were becoming the CEOs of our own exit strategy....taking care of business our way!
The Sharpley Family plots were an easy part of our planning. We already owned the real estate, and there were 4 members of the Sharpley family 'laid to rest' here. 
And our decision to use the similar minimalistic granite grave markers made the selection easy, and in keeping with the other 4 markers.
Next on the list was Oakey's Funeral Home. 
We, again, knew what we wanted. After contemplating for what seemed like forever, our funeral cost estimates have been paid in full! That's right! Our ducks are in a row! One's handling the flowers, another is in charge of snacks, and the third duck is just there to make sure I don't end up in a polka dot urn by mistake😊. Phew.........#6 in session 2 took longer that I thought it would..............and it ended up being a major expense that was not planned for at the beginning of the class. But one that has brought a sense of relief!
Week 3: (still a work in progress!)
The class concluded June 30th. My personal notebook is not complete, and the on-going process of adding to my notebook will continue. I have not finished reading the book or filling out the workbook. Honestly, I think the class could have extended for another session!
The class was packed with wisdom and reflection. Following are my humble takeaways:
1. Facing mortality isn't morbid--it's empowering.
2. "Getting your ducks in a row" is an act of love.
3. Clarity is kindness.
4. Wills and trusts aren't just for the wealthy.
5. Advance directives speak when you can't.
6. Digital assets matter.
7. Conversations are just as important as documents.
8. Legacy isn't just legal--it's personal
9. Planning isn't pessimistic--it's proactive.
Let's face it-----if you don't get your ducks in a row, they'll be waddling in circles without a clue!
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