A Must-Read for Everyone: With the [Stroke] of a Pen, Claim Your Life by Jane Blaufaus

Back in October I attended a fabulous conference for women bloggers called She’s Connected.  I met all kinds of amazing women, some of whom I’d gotten to know online (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and some I was fortunate enough to meet by chance. 

Jane Blaufaus, author of With the [Stroke] of a Pen, Claim Your Life, was one of those women I was fortunate enough to be sitting at a table with during a couple of sessions at the conference.  Along with her publicist and friend, Rania Walker, Jane was not only attending the conference but she was also there to share her story and her book.

Jane’s story is one of tragedy and triumph.  She lost her husband in a plane crash when she was just 39 years old.  Suddenly a single mother and head of the household, Jane soon found that she had a lot to learn and a lot of hurdles to overcome. 

With the [Stroke] of a Pen is a real, no-holds-barred story about what it’s like to lose your spouse and the aftermath that ensues. Jane tells it like it is.  It’s full of emotion but also full of practical advice.  If you’ve never lost someone close to you it is impossible to know or to imagine all of the details and everything you must do in the days, months, and even years following a death. 

Having recently lost my Dad, I can tell you that there are decisions you’ll be making and details you’ll be taking care of that you won’t want to think about.  Things happen fast and you need to be prepared.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to educate yourself about your spouse or parent’s final wishes, finances and personal matters, but also to ensure that all of these things are in order for yourself.  There is nothing more difficult than having to make decisions in the midst of grief.  I know this first-hand. 

With the [Stroke] of a Pen also provides a summary of key take-aways following each chapter and comprehensive checklists at the end of the book.  Everything from what you need to talk to your life insurance advisor about to pre-arranging your funeral is covered in these checklists.  It truly is food for thought.

Nobody wants to talk about dying or about losing someone they love, but it does and will happen to all of us.  Have those conversations and pick up this book to help you.  You will be glad that you did.

Note:  I was provided with a complimentary copy of Jane’s book at the conference – thank you!  All opinions are my own and I was not otherwise compensated to write this blog post.  This subject matter is important and these conversations necessary!