Friday, December 7, 2007

Money Won’t Solve Everything – Sometimes You Need Someone to Care About You

My grandma has the beginnings of Alzheimer’s, so she often says funny things that don’t make sense or tells the same story several times in one day. It’s a sad disease, no doubt, but Grandma is just so darned happy-go-lucky that we can’t help but find amusement in it. My family often jokes about the things, but in all seriousness, her situation has gotten me thinking about things I haven’t thought much about before.

In my mid-twenties, I haven’t thought a lot about my old age. It’s just too far away to comprehend right now. Between my grandma and the financial thinking I’ve been doing lately, however, I’ve realized that I will eventually get old, so I’ve started to plan for retirement.

I’m not married, but even if I do get married someday, I will probably not choose to have children, so there’s one question on my mind that all of the financial planning in the world can’t answer. Who will take care of me when I’m old?

We’ll all need someone to take care of us. I’m not talking about the care that a nurse or other professional would provide. I’m talking about someone to listen to us tell crazy stories or remind us which relatives have passed away. My mom, my dad, my sisters and I provide this type of care for my grandma. We call and visit, and we’re there for her for the little things, like hugs and picnics and jokes we’ve heard a million times.

With all that’s been going on with my grandma, not long ago I asked my ten-year-old niece if she would take care of me when I’m old. I was half joking, but she happily agreed, and told me that she would pick out my home and listen to me tell the same stories over and over. Lord only knows what life will bring on over the next 40 or 50 years, but it’s nice to know that someone will be looking out for me when I need it the most.

What about you? What questions have you been wondering about lately? What issues do you have that money won’t solve?

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