Dear Friend,

It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.

A box of old dishes.
Some floral-patterned plates.
A silver serving spoon with a slight bend in the handle.

The kind of thing you’d expect to find tucked in a cabinet, used once a year, wrapped carefully in tissue paper, then forgotten until next Thanksgiving.

But after their mother passed, the box became something else entirely.

It became a battleground.

The sisters had agreed on everything else—who would keep the car, what to do with the house, even how to divide the bank account. But when it came to that box of dishes… everything changed.

One said Mom promised it to her.
The other said Mom used her china every year because she knew she’d be the one to carry on the tradition.
Their brother didn’t even want the china, but he had thoughts too—and so did his wife.

A shouting match followed.

So did silence.

That Thanksgiving, for the first time in 32 years, they didn’t get together as a family.

It Wasn’t About the China

That’s the thing most people don’t understand.

When families fracture after a loss, it’s rarely about money. It’s about memories. Emotions. Legacy. Symbols of love that take on new meaning once the person who gave them is gone.

That box of china represented decades of holidays, togetherness, laughter, comfort food, and family history. It carried more than porcelain—it carried meaning. And because no one had planned for how to pass it on… it passed along pain instead.

The Little Things Matter Most

Most people plan for the big things. Wills, Trusts, real estate, investments.

But often, it’s the little things—the recipe box, the ring, the army jacket, the photo album, the china—that stir up the strongest emotions and the deepest disagreements.

You don’t need a courtroom fight to break a family apart. Sometimes all it takes is confusion, assumption, or the quiet belief that “they’ll just work it out.”

But grief has a way of magnifying feelings. And when there’s no guidance, even the smallest heirloom can become a lightning rod.

Planning Preserves Peace

You can’t prevent every disagreement. But you can give your family something even more valuable than stuff.

You can give them clarity. Direction. Peace of mind. And the space to grieve without questioning your intentions—or each other’s.

That’s what a thoughtful plan really does.

It doesn’t just protect your things. It protects your people.

Because when you’re no longer here to keep the family together, your plan becomes the glue that holds them in place.

Want to Avoid the Same Story?

Start now. Not when it’s urgent. Not when emotions are already running high. But now—while you’re calm, present, and able to have the conversations that matter.

And don’t stop with the big stuff.

Think about the sentimental things, too. The stories behind them. The memories that matter. And the people you want to carry those memories forward.

If you need help putting that plan in place—or just making sure the one you already have actually protects your family the way you want it to—I’d be honored to help.

Call Bascom Law today and let’s make sure your plan brings peace, not pain.

Sincerely and Thanks,

Mike

Mike Bascom
Bascom Law, PC
770-285-5493