PHILIP'S INTRODUCTION IN THE BOOK

Imagine you are a pebble tossed into a vast pond. You create ripples throughout your life, affecting not only those close to you, but the world in which you live.

It wasn’t easy talking to my parents about creating a Will. Talking about funeral plans wasn’t a piece of cake, either. But once we overcame the initial discomfort of dealing with reality, they agreed this task was not only a good idea, it was critical. Otherwise, the primary legacy they’d leave my brother and me would be an unforgettable and indecipherable mess.

Since all of us wanted to avoid that eventuality, we set to work sorting and organizing. Fortunately, my parents had begun the process before I broached the subject. They had already placed their personal instructions in metal boxes — one gold and one silver. In addition to their pre-planning, we decided to write down all their basic information in an easy-to-understand book to help them clarify their wishes. I felt it would help us deal with the aftermath of their loss.

My father and mother died one year apart.

After each of their deaths, I went through the shiny metal boxes containing their instructions regarding bank and pension accounts and their lists of contacts, such as banker, attorney and accountant. They had also included details for giving memorabilia to friends and personal items to charity.

Because of their foresight and their willingness to deal with the reality of their future deaths, I was spared the pain of second-guessing their final wishes. I knew how they wanted their funeral to be conducted, how and where they wanted to be buried, who they wanted to administer their Will, and where their heirlooms were kept.

In spite of all of our advance planning, it was only in the aftermath of their deaths that I realized a lot of critical information had been overlooked. The emotional transition of dealing with death was more layered and demanding than I had anticipated. The array of loopholes and puzzles left behind for me to deal with was staggering. Shortly after I had finally tied up all the loose ends of their estate, my friend, Sally Lamb, was encountering similar problems.

After the death of Sally’s father, we decided to create Cash Under the Mattress — a handbook that is thoughtful, friendly, concise and easy-to-use. We wanted a book that invites thought, outlines detail, and creates a clear structure to guide parents and family members through difficult times.

SALLY'S INTRODUCTION IN THE BOOK

When my father died, my two sisters and I were faced with decisions to make and problems to solve that were diffi cult. Even though our eighty-three year-old mother was there to help, we were overwhelmed with all that needed to be done.

Our parents had been married for sixty years. We assumed that they had taken care of estate matters, and indeed, the legal work had been handled. Planning a funeral and reception in just a few days, however, caught us unprepared.

My mother, of course, did what she could, but the bulk of the work fell to us. All four of us suffered from shock and we were traveling in uncharted territory. We had no map or guidelines to help us through this difficult period. When you’re dealing with the death of someone close to you, shock and grief tend to take over, and there is little time to linger with those feelings.

Over the years, of course, we had all been to funerals and receptions, but we had no idea of what was involved to make these events happen. Just gathering information for the obituary, making travel and accommodation plans for friends and relatives, selecting music, writing the eulogy and hosting a large reception was so much to deal with — within a few days. You must react quickly to handle an enormous amount of detailed planning, when all you really want to do is rest.

When our mom died three years later, we were better prepared. We had our previous lists so we knew what needed to be done. And yet, as we plodded down this familiar path, stained by tears and sorrow, we still encountered formidable obstacles.

This time we were now closing down our parents’ entire estate. All the legal work was done, but we had to deal with the house, the belongings, and the memorabilia. If our parents had designated who got what and what to do with these things in advance, we could have been spared a lot of anguish, confusion and stress. We were now faced with a new set of problems without any guidance.

Philip and I had already started Cash Under the Mattress, and we were sure our similar experiences were not all that uncommon.

We wanted to write a book to help others avoid the problems that we went through. It would also be something we would give to our family and friends. We began to realize that our experiences applied to millions of other people who could be helped by plain solutions to complicated problems.

Our goal is to help others get organized and to minimize the guess work that accompanies a death. We know, first hand, that not knowing what to do, adds unnecessary anxiety, stress, and grief to already painful circumstances. The loss of someone you love is never easy, but there are things you can do — preventative measures you can take — to smooth the path before you. That is why we have written this book.

Philip Giroux is the president of Toddco Landscape Co., Inc., a design-build landscape firm located in Venice, California, which he founded in 1978. The firm has received numerous awards for outstanding designs. Philip has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Arizona.

He is the Author of "Landscape for Dummies" published by IDG Books. He writes, lectures, and does radio and television interviews on the subject of landscape. Philip has served as past president for the Los Angeles Chapter of the California Contractors Association, and is a member of the Southern California Horticultural Society.

Sally Lamb is a professional artist. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California. She has exhibited her award-winning oil and watercolor paintings throughout the U.S. and is extensively represented in both private and corporate collections.

Currently her paintings are shown at Bergamot Station in her hometown of Santa Monica,
California. Her work includes large wall murals, book illustrations, demonstrations, lectures, and educational films.