As you may or may not know, I recently went on an expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro… and… I live to tell the tale!… Funny things happened to virtually everyone on the climb. Our two strongest climbers – one, the youngest in the group – went down the third night/beginning of the fourth day with pulmonary edema. One had to have an IV administered before leaving. He was a mess.
I had a couple of issues as well, cuts on two of my fingers the least of them. On the last day, going down the mountain to our final gate, I fell and dislocated my left shoulder (posterior). So, what should have taken three hours to finish from where it happened took over five. Getting a shoulder popped back in is no day at the beach. When I arrived back in OKC the X-rays proved negative – no broken bones. Just give it time to heal. It’s okay as long as I don’t move or breathe.
This was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done physically. The combination of the rigor of the climb, the dirt/dust/generally being filthy for a week, the cold, having your body-clock upside down, very little sleep (maybe 8 hours for the week; on the last night my laying down resting heart rate was 110!), climbing for six hours in the dark into a 30 mph headwind, on scree consisting of a thick layer of volcano dirt, gravel, chat and rock so you slip back to where you were on every step, and -15 wind chill at the top was enough to discourage the heartiest of us.
No doubt, it was a challenge of a lifetime. I’m glad I did it; I feel good about the accomplishment. But, I’m more likely a member of the “one and done” than “let’s do another one” club at this point. Of our group, only one, a young, former Marine, said it was not the most physically demanding thing they’ve done.
Now, what does all of this have to do with estate planning you ask?… Well, allow me to share….
An exciting, challenging, yet dangerous experience like this might make you question your sanity, but it definitely reinforces your deeply held convictions. One such conviction that continuously resonated for me is the importance of your estate planning, and ensuring your family is protected and well-off after you are gone. In fact, Darlene (my beautiful, one-of-a-kind wife) and I updated our estate plan before I left.
Life is short, and not only do we need to appreciate and embrace every moment, we also need to do everything we can to look out for our loved ones. This is why I want to mention our upcoming estate planning seminars.
These seminars are customized for those who do not have an estate plan or are unsatisfied with their current estate plan in some way. If either you, friends, family or colleagues have not taken the important step of ensuring your family legacy is protected, please come join us at one of these free seminars. Learn More and Register Now For These Important Estate Planning Seminars by Clicking HERE.
Larry Parman
Attorney at Law
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