Dotting the i's, and crossing the t's

Most of us take great pride in the fact that we can fend for ourselves over the course of our life. We are an independent bunch, after all. However, we also take great joy in the realization that we can choose to share our life with someone else. That process often begins when we become engaged, and then married. Children may come along, expanding our families and providing us with real comfort in times of emotional strife.

Combining that sense of independence with a willingness to be selfless enough to become a part of a family group is one of the things that allows for a rich and enjoyable life over the long term. Along the way, trust is nurtured and grows between husbands and wives, as well as parents and children. Even grandparents and their grandchildren can establish strong ties that involve confidence, trust, and true caring.

Those relationships are important. They are especially important when we find ourselves dependent, rather than independent, as so many of us will at some point in our lives. This is especially true in our later years. And even during the prime of our lives there may be circumstances where although we may be perfectly capable of conducting the business of our lives, our work schedules or geographic location may make it difficult or impossible to be as personally involved in the business of our day to day lives as we want to be.

Fortunately, there is a method of passing our seal of approval on to another, trusted individual when we need to. A Power of Attorney allows us to indicate who we deem capable of exercising our personal and business decisions on our behalf, either in our absence, or if we are incapacitated and unable to act in our own best interest. In effect, a Power of Attorney is our legal means of telling the world who we authorize to act as our representative in legal, business, financial, and medical matters that affect us directly.

You can designate anyone you choose to hold your Power of Attorney. It is entirely up to you. You might select your wife, your husband, your sister, or your brother. One of your children can be entrusted with your Power of Attorney, or even a good friend, or neighbor, if that is your choice.

Whether or not any of us should enter into a Power of Attorney with another person is a highly unique and individual choice. For many of us, it is a practical decision that provides comfort and stability during a time of life when we need it most. For others, it may be the acknowledgement that we are not quite as permanent and will not remain as perpetually strong as we might have hoped. Or perhaps we are simply accepting a temporary work assignment overseas that lasts long enough that we want someone on the case back home, who can legally act on our behalf if we need them to.

Whatever the case, I find it somewhat comforting to know that there is a method for assuring that we will never be truly alone, and that even under the most dire circumstances, we have a means of selecting the one person in the world who we think will represent us best – and announcing that selection to the world in a solid, legal manner that gives us a sense of peace and satisfaction.