The Journal

Navigating the complexities of probate, estate planning, and inheritance.

A brown dog with a gray muzzle resting in a sunlit kitchen doorway

September 27, 20264 min readPlanning Ahead

Who Will Care for Your Pet After You Die?

How to choose a caregiver for your pet, cover the first few days, and pay for long-term care. Includes what a Texas will can do and how a pet trust works.

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A woman with short gray hair writing a letter on a board in her lap beside an open window

Living Well4 min read

How to Write a Legacy Letter

A legacy letter tells someone what you've learned and what they mean to you. Use these prompts to write a personal letter and decide when to share it.

September 21, 2026

An older man telling a story to a younger woman in a living room, with a phone on the table between them

Living Well4 min read

How to Record Family Stories in Their Own Words

Record a family conversation with a phone and a few thoughtful questions. Learn how to ask permission, listen well, and save the recording for others.

September 8, 2026

A quiet country road at golden hour stretching toward low hills, long soft shadows across dry grass

Living Well8 min read

Top Regrets of the Dying: Decisions You Can Make Now

Bronnie Ware recorded the five most common regrets of her palliative patients. Each one maps to a specific, small decision you can still make this year.

July 3, 2026

Two blank sheets of paper side by side on a plain wooden writing table lit by soft morning window light

Living Well7 min read

The Two-Eulogy Exercise: Thirty Minutes That Show You the Gap

Write the eulogy your life would earn today, then the one you hope for. The distance between the two documents is the clearest to-do list you will ever get.

July 3, 2026