You get together with your family: holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and even family vacations.

Amidst the banter, you ask yourself, “Does my family have a deeper sense of purpose?”  But everyone’s having fun so you say nothing.

Then you find yourself sitting with your trusted advisors, and the thought persists, “What is the essence of my family that will survive this generation, other than my assets?”  The discussion about wealth preservation and taxes seems so important to everyone else, you remain silent acknowledging that it is essential to plan while you are alive.

Too often, the conversation about a family’s values or traditions surfaces only after someone passes away.  Death has a way of focusing the mind on what matters right now.  That is when family memories, history, and issues take center stage.   Is this when you want this discussion to take place, when neither generation can participate actively?

At Inheriting Wisdom, we know that you need more than good intentions if you want to create a meaningful family legacy. The place to start is with a conversation with another person in your family. Simple questions are the best place to start.

Those questions – and many more – are part of a card game that we created called “Conversation Starters.”