Family Heritage: St. Patrick's Day

The Irish have observed St. Patrick’s Day on March 17^th for more than a thousand years. Traditionally, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon with dance, drink and a feast consisting of bacon (not corned beef) and cabbage. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the globe. The world’s oldest civilian parade, the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, features over 150,000 participants and is attended by nearly three million people. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Savannah and other cities also host massive parades.

Clearly, St. Patrick achieved an enduring legacy. Yet very little is known about the man himself, what he truly believed and valued most in life. Would he approve of green hats, green rivers and green beer (perhaps consumed with a wee bit too much exuberance)? We simply do not know. And, of course, our firm was not there to help him make his wishes known, by designing a customized estate and legacy plan.

Here at Kristel K. Patton, P.C., we can create such a plan for you and your loved ones. A plan that provides for your financial and healthcare needs today, and ensures you give what you want, when you want, to whom you want… today, tomorrow and beyond. A plan, in short, that protects your loved ones and legacy. It is important to note that for your plan to continue to serve as an accurate expression of your wishes, you should have it reviewed and updated at least every two years, or whenever a significant change takes place in your life or that of your family.

Additionally, if you have a DocuBank membership, we also want to remind you to update your healthcare information with the DocuBank Healthcare Directives Registry. DocuBank makes your healthcare directives immediately available to medical professionals and family members alike in the event of an emergency. In this way, it assumes an important role in preserving your legacy, by helping to ensure that your desires for care will be honored to the letter, and your estate protected against costly “last resort” medical services you may not desire.  If you do not have a DocuBank membership, please contact our firm to see how you can get enrolled.

So this St. Patrick’s Day, don’t just think about whether you should have corned beef or bacon with your cabbage. Think about your legacy and whether or not your estate plan reflects your wishes. If it does not, our firm can help you define your legacy by creating a customized estate plan just for you.