I informed my 3 sons and a daughter about 2 years ago when their father entered the care center, that I did not want any fighting when he and I were gone. If there was a disagreement, they should "draw straws" to see who would get the first choice. My brother and sister did that when my mother passed. Then we could trade with each other if they had something that we wanted and vice versa.

I asked my children to let me know if there were particular things they wanted as I had several pieces of furniture which were either made by my father or had been handed down through the generations for over a hundred years. The pieces are marked so that after I no longer have a use for them, they will go to the person choosing them. We have to remember we will not live forever and we must make it as easy as possible for family members when we are gone. I have helped clean out 4 homes of family members when they could no longer live in them or had died. I do not want to leave that to my children.