In 2014, I was planning my husband Nathaniel’s birthday and our 5-year wedding anniversary, as well as juggling my regular work schedule. One morning I decided to leave for work early, so I could enjoy our upcoming celebrations. I left my husband asleep in our bed, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping out quietly. Had I known that kiss would be our last, I wouldn’t have left him at all: He was in a fatal car accident later that morning.

 

Nathaniel and I were dramatically unprepared for the possibility of our deaths. We were still young, and thought we had so much time ahead of us. But there I was, suddenly thrown into a situation where I had to not only navigate my own feelings of grief, but those of my family and in-laws. At the same time, I had to reconfigure the life I had with my husband and manage his estate, with no experience, and only limited assistance and direction.

 

Over the next several years, using what I’d learned from my husband’s death, I helped many other people navigate their losses. Over time, I developed a system and templates, to organize everything that needs to be done as the executor of an estate. This book has it all in one place, to help you through one of the most difficult situations any of us ever faces. If this book helps even one person, it was all worth it!