By Shelley Essery, Certified Executor Advisor
The Empowered Estate

The Stories We Carry: A Reflection on Legacy

When families gather in December, something soft and familiar awakens in all of us. The kitchen fills with old jokes. Someone brings up that story you have heard a hundred times. A moment of quiet lands, and suddenly you are remembering the best advice a grandparent ever gave you or wishing you had asked them one more question.

That is legacy.
Not the formal kind. The human kind.

What Legacy Really Means

Legacy is the wisdom we pass down without thinking, the memories we share over dinner, the tiny pieces of ourselves that become part of the people we love.

Most of us do not realize how valuable those pieces are until someone is gone.

This season is a rare gift.
We are together.
We are talking.
We are remembering.
And it is the perfect time to gently gather the stories that matter, including your own.

Why These Stories Matter to Your Executor

As someone who supports families through the executor journey, I have seen firsthand how these small stories and clear wishes become a lifeline when the time comes. They ground people in love when everything feels unsteady.

That is why the Legacy Reflections section of The Empowered Estate Planner exists.
It is where you jot down the best advice you have ever received.
The lessons that shaped you.
The memories you hope your family will carry forward.
The heart behind the practical details.

Someday, those pages become part of someone else’s strength.

A Holiday Reminder: Life Is Unpredictable

Life is unpredictable. The love we leave is not.

So as December unfolds, take a moment.
Ask someone you love a question that matters.
Share a story that shaped you.
Write down that piece of advice you return to again and again.

A Simple Way to Leave Clarity for Your Family

If you are ready to make sure those memories and the practical details your family will someday need are organized in one beautiful place, the planner is here for you.

Give your family something better than a gift under the tree. Give them clarity, comfort and connection that lasts.

You can order your copy of The Empowered Estate Planner at
www.theempoweredestate.ca

If you would like help capturing your story or understanding what your executor will need someday, I am here. connect@shelleyessery.com

A Legacy Lives in the Stories We Choose to Leave

A legacy is not built in one grand gesture.
It is built in the stories we carry and the stories we choose to leave