So months ago our beautiful friend Elizabeth died suddenly and unexpectedly -- of a heart attack in her sleep during a hiking trip to Utah. We were stunned. Still are. We miss her so -- she was a true aunt to the Ds, and a sister to Wifey and me.
Her sister Ruby and Ruby's longtime boyfriend Harris called the other day. Could we meet for dinner, and a transfer. Transfer? Indeed -- Elizabeth had bequeathed some of her possessions to Wifey, me, and the Ds.
So we met in Peacock Garden, where we had celebrated Wifey's birthday on Christmas Day, and we caught up. Ruby has been working a full time job as Elizabeth's personal representative -- and her normal gig is managing Harris's medical practice. And she takes her duties VERY seriously.
Fortunately, she's gotten most of the work done: selling Elizabeth's Orlando house and Mercedes, and getting her investment accounts to the correct recipients. But Elizabeth, ever the OCD person, left a curveball: specific instructions to 45!!!! separate people she wished to have her possessions.
I told Ruby she was a sister above all sisters. Frankly, I won't have to act as my sisters' PRs, but if I did, and I found a list like that, I would have "misplaced" it, simply called in an estate liquidator, and handled it that way. Ruby thought I was kidding when I told her that -- I was DEAD serious. Ha.
Anyway, we had a lovely dinner, talking about favorite Elizabeth stories, and comparing notes about grown kids -- Harris has two, about the Ds ages. His son made him a grandpa, and he loves the gig, but was jealous of me having our Little Man in Miami -- his grandson and parents live in Chicago.
After dinner, Harris drove his car next to our SUV in a parking lot, and unloaded the bounty. There was two paintings, several small sculptures, and a box containing 8 Limoges boxes. She wished the Ds to have these, and though the Ds are minimalist, anti clutter types, will indeed keep this lovely gift from their beloved aunt.
I received a ceramic wall hanging, which, truth be told, I haven't unwrapped from the bubble wrap yet. I REALLY am not a stuff guy.
Wifey received two lovely paintings -- she had admired them when she visited Elizabeth's place -- one is a waterfall, and the other a nude. Being at heart a junior high level guy, I remarked that the nude painting was definitely from the "Bush period." Wifey smirked at my wit.
Ruby was headed to UPS today, to ship gifts to friends as far afield as Oregon. Harris joked last night that if he ever really did NOT like someone, he would appoint them his personal representative. It's a huge pain in the ass.
Paul called and I shared the information with him. He shares my disdain for stuff. He asked if I wanted any of his stuff when he died, and I said not really, except for those fancy coins he has from South Africa. He agreed -- he would take MINE as well, as well as any unaccounted for shares of Apple, or maybe the stray tax free muni bond.
We texted Ruby after we saw the stuff. I made her feel very good with some wisdom from our sages: in Jewish tradition, it is said that the soul of the departed is only at rest once all earthly affairs are settled. So Ruby, by following Elizabeth's wishes, was giving her beloved sister's soul rest. Ruby is an Evangelical Christian, and found comfort in that.
As for me, other than the aforementioned investments -- I would welcome the Ds t simply back up a big dump truck to my house and haul all my stuff to the transfer station -- picking out, I guess, anything suitable for charity.
In the end, as Eccliastes teaches us, all is vanity, anyway.
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