Death Readiness Dispatch

February 20, 2026

Hi there,

 

What does agency actually look like when life feels overwhelming?

Most of us imagine agency as something big, like solving a massive problem or making a dramatic change. But in reality, the moments that matter most are usually much smaller.

 

Today, I talk about something that has completely disrupted our household lately, fostering a tiny puppy named Boots. She’s adorable, chaotic and has absolutely no respect for my morning routine. And the experience reminded me of a puppy named Velvet that our family raised for the local Guide Dog Foundation when I was a kid.

 

Somewhere between tangled leashes, unexpected messes, and rearranging my entire workday around a creature that doesn’t understand calendars or deadlines, I realized something that connects Boots and Velvet directly to estate planning: Agency often looks inconvenient.

 

It looks like: making one appointment you’ve been putting off, organizing one folder, having one uncomfortable conversation or signing one important document. The most meaningful planning happens in small, imperfect moments, when we decide to do the next right thing even if it’s annoying or horribly inconvenient.

Today, I share why fostering Boots reminded me of raising a guide dog puppy as a kid, how small acts of care shape the people watching us (yes, including our kids), what “agency” really looks like in everyday life and why estate planning is ultimately an act of care for a future you may never personally see.

 

Most of the things that matter — updating your estate plan, getting organized, preparing your family, or cleaning up after a puppy for the umpteenth time — are not exciting in the moment.

 

You don’t have to change the world. You just have to choose one small thing that moves your life forward.

Submit an adoption application at Detroit Dog Rescue.

Attention Californians!

I saw an Instagram reel claiming that California’s Proposition 19 “hijacks your kids’ inheritance.” But estate planning rarely fits inside a 20-second clip.

 

Here’s the reality: Proposition 19 changed how property tax values are reassessed when children inherit real estate in California. In some cases, property taxes may increase significantly after a parent’s death, especially if the property’s market value has grown over decades.

 

But that’s only part of the story.

Estate planning decisions shouldn’t be driven by social media sound bites. They should be guided by facts, context, and your family’s actual goals.

Thanks for being here, and for being willing to do the small things that matter more than you think.

PS: Next week on Tuesday Triage — a grandmother wants to divide her required minimum distributions equally among her grandchildren, but one grandchild has Down syndrome. How do you gift with love and fairness without jeopardizing government benefits? We’re unpacking exactly that. Got a question for Tuesday Triage?