Harman Law - May/June 2022

Harman Law - May/June 2022

May/June 2022

THE HARMAN HEADLINE

HARMAN LAW

Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Employment Lawyers

THE HARMANS HEAD TO DISNEY GREAT TO GO … BETTER TO BE BACK!

Since the last time I wrote to you, my family has road-tripped to Florida and back! Jen and I had the brilliant idea of taking the triplets to DisneyWorld with her parents. They’re at the perfect age for it: They’re tall enough to ride almost all of the roller coasters but young enough to still believe the characters are real. As soon as we got there, Miles and Nolan used their Christmas gift cards to buy fake swords, shields, and anything they could afford related to the “Cars’’ movie. Meanwhile, Emerson chose a boatload of costume jewelry. She was blinged out in a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, a ring, and a tiara she insisted on wearing nonstop for the entire trip.

Honestly, I had very low expectations for how the kids would handle hours in the car and waiting in line. I kind of thought it would be a disaster all day, every day … but they far exceeded my expectations! The trip was great from start to finish. Overall, we spent two days at Magic Kingdom, one day at Animal Kingdom, one day at Hollywood Studios, and one day relaxing at the hotel pool and riding the Disney Skyliner back and forth. The kids

loved the Skyliner. When we asked them about their favorite rides, they all put it on their lists. It’s good to know we didn’t really need to spring for park passes — apparently, just riding the free Skyliner would have made them happy! Jokes aside, I’m really glad we went. I even learned a few tips you can steal if you’re taking small children to Disney this summer.

The triplets are only 4, so I thought they would be scared of the roller coasters, but they loved them! Emerson particularly liked Splash Mountain, especially the big drop into the water that soaked us. The only ride they were too short for was Space Mountain. It has a 44-inch height minimum. We thought for a minute they’d make it … until the Disney worker used her hand to flatten the shortest triplet’s fluffy hair. I think the highlights of the trip for the kids were the “Cars” experience and the breakfast we managed to snag with the characters. Like I’ve told you before, the triplets are obsessed with “Cars.” Seeing a full-size Lightning McQueen on stage with a moving mouth and eyes was amazing to them. (We also stayed in a “Cars”-themed hotel room.)

1. STROLLERS ARE KEY. Our kids never ride strollers at home anymore, but they were an absolute necessity at Disney to carry things, keep them with us, and save the day when their legs got tired. 2. GET FANS AND MAPS. The fans kept the kids cool, and the maps kept them entertained. We let the kids “guide us” to the next ride and “plan our route” from their strollers. 3. HAVE A HIGH-TECH BACKUP. We didn’t need the triplets’ iPads much, but we brought them just in case. They helped a lot when they were antsy waiting for the fireworks. I hope you get to go on a family vacation this summer. As for me, I was happy to go, but I’m even happier to be back helping my clients with their employment law, workers’ compensation, and car accident cases.

The breakfast was probably Nolan’s favorite moment

“Like I’ve told you before, the triplets are obsessed

because he has been really into Donald Duck recently. When we told him Donald would be at breakfast, he got the biggest smile ever on his face! I’m so glad we got a picture of it.

with ‘Cars.’ Seeing a full-size Lightning McQueen on stage with a moving mouth and eyes was amazing to them.”

If you have a friend who needs help, send them to me. I’m reenergized and ready to work!

–Michael Harman

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Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – Call Us Today 704-237-6613

A way to preserve or share a piece of your trip is to bring home a souvenir, but choosing a souvenir isn’t always a stress-free experience. How do you pick the perfect souvenir and not just the first thing you see in a tourist shop? Here are some tips for picking a truly meaningful gift for yourself or your loved ones. WHO ARE YOU BUYING FOR? What are your recipient’s interests, or what do they spend the most time doing? If you’re buying for yourself and enjoy coffee, you might buy a local coffee blend to enjoy from home. However, if your recipient doesn’t enjoy coffee or rarely drinks it, that type of gift might not mean much to them. IS IT LEGAL TO BRING HOME? Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, there are many regulations that affect which souvenirs you can bring home. Even if you find the item in a tourist shop, that doesn’t mean it’ll be allowed into the country or even onto the plane. And the TSA does take this seriously. In 2012, two tourists were detained at the U.S. border for trying to bring home chocolate Kinder eggs — a specific kind that are illegal in the U.S. due to the potentially hazardous small toys inside. Picking the Perfect Souvenir

PURCHASE A HANDICRAFT. Handicrafts — items created by local artisans — are awesome souvenirs! But make sure you buy where artisans actually sell their own goods, such as an open-air market. Unfortunately, while some popular tourist shops may sell “locally made goods,” many souvenirs intended for tourists are actually made by cheap manufacturers in other countries. KEEP SOMETHING FROM THE ADVENTURE. Bringing a glass bottle to take home some sand is a popular way of creating your own souvenir from a beach vacation. But you can do this with almost any item! Whether it’s stones, ticket stubs from favorite shows and activities, or a handmade item from a class, make sure to look out for souvenirs that’ll remind you of great memories and experiences.

We hope these tips will help you make the best choice. Bon voyage!

You Need MoreThan Just aWill!

3 ESSENTIAL ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS

So, you have a will. That means you have your estate planning taken care of, right? Wrong! Whether you’re 18 or 80, planning for your end-of-life care and what happens to your assets after you pass away is

Without a health care power of attorney, your doctors will let your closest available kin (i.e., your spouse, siblings, or parents) make those important decisions for you. THE POWER OF ATTORNEY. This document lets you name someone to make non-health care decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself, like paying your mortgage and credit card bills. It’s important to note that the power of attorney doesn’t cover what those decisions should be. For that, see the bonus document below. BONUS DOCUMENT: You might also want to consider adding a living will to your estate plan. This document will let you outline what you want to happen if you can’t communicate your wishes and your health care power of attorney takes over. Do you want them to keep you on life support indefinitely? How do you feel about artificial nutrition and hydration? When you outline your thoughts in a living will, you don’t have to worry about your health care power of attorney accidentally making a decision you don’t agree with. If you don’t have these three documents ready to go in case the worst happens, our team can help. We have years of experience drafting estate plans and do everything we can to make it an easy, stress- free process. To see our prices and schedule an appointment, visit HarmanLawNC.com/Wills-Estate-Lawyer/.

a little bit more complicated than that. To make sure your estate plan covers all of the essentials, you need AT LEAST these three documents:

THEWILL. You probably already knew this one! A written will communicates whom you’d like to handle your estate and inherit your property after you pass away. It’s also crucial for providing for your minor children. In your will, you can name a guardian for them and trustees for any trusts they might have. THE HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY. This document lets you name someone to make health care decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself (i.e., if you’re in a coma or unable to speak).

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Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – HarmanLawNC.com

SUDOKU

HARMAN LAW FEEDS THE COMMUNITY WE VOLUNTEEREDWITH ANGELS & SPARROWS! On March 30, our team didn’t go to work. Instead, we closed the office and headed to the local community table and resource center Angels & Sparrows for a volunteer shift. From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the six of us sorted and stocked their food pantry, set up for lunch, served the 60 or so food-insecure people who came in to eat, and cleaned up afterward. It was a really fulfilling experience! Angels & Sparrows is a great organization that does all kinds of things for the community, including providing free food and helping folks with education, health care, housing, and their finances. They serve lunch at their center every single weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to their website, Angels & Sparrows has served more than 1 million meals so far! They also created a Summer Bag Lunch Program to help food-insecure kids have enough to eat over the summer, and they’ve packed almost 150,000 of those bags. On the day we volunteered, we served beef stroganoff, mashed potatoes, and sides. It was a really elaborate meal. The Angels & Sparrows staff told us they only serve restaurant- quality food to restore some dignity to the people who rely on their free meals. They also make sure their huge food pantry (which they call the market) is stocked with only the best fruit, vegetables, canned foods, meats, and packaged goods. If a loaf of bread is even a little bit stale, it’s out! I really like Angels & Sparrows’ philosophy and their commitment to helping the community. I discovered them through the Mecklenburg County Bar’s Mecklenburg Bar Foundation. I’m on the foundation’s board, so I got the heads-up when Angels & Sparrows applied for a grant with us. That sent me down a rabbit hole of learning all about them. You should have seen my face when I found out they were only five minutes from our office. This was our first time volunteering with Angels & Sparrows, but it probably won’t be the last. If you want to donate or volunteer yourself, you can learn all about them at AngelsAndSparrows.org .

Solution on Page 4

SUMMER STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

This refreshing and seasonal salad will go great with whatever meat you throw on the grill this Memorial Day.

INGREDIENTS

• • • • • •

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• • • •

5 oz organic spinach

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups strawberries, halved 1 large avocado, sliced 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup feta crumbles 1/4 cup roasted pistachios, chopped

1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tbsp strawberry jam Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste 1/3 cup raw, sliced almonds

• •

•

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped garlic, Dijon mustard, and strawberry jam. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. 2. In a pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until they are golden brown. 3. In a large bowl, add spinach. Then layer on strawberries, avocado, red onion, feta, toasted almonds, and chopped pistachios. 4. Toss dressing in salad or serve on the side.

–Michael Harman

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Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – Call Us Today 704-237-6613

16507 Northcross Drive, Suite B Huntersville, NC, 28078 Offices in Lake Norman, Charlotte, and Hickory 704-237-6613 HarmanLawNC.com

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HARMAN LAW

Inside This Issue

Surviving DisneyWith 3 Kids Page 1

Sudoku Solution

Hate Souvenir Shopping? Let’s Make It Easy

Is Your Estate Plan Missing a Piece? Page 2

Summer Strawberry Spinach Salad

Our Soup Kitchen Volunteer Experience Page 3

Strengthen Your Entire Body! Page 4

PADDLE YOURWAY TO BETTER HEALTH Big Benefits of Canoeing and Kayaking

The weather is getting warmer, which means you can do more activities in the water. Canoeing or kayaking is an excellent way to get outdoors and be active. Besides looking at the beautiful scenery around you, taking to the water confers several physical and mental health benefits.

• It’s a form of cardiac exercise that will help your heart circulate more blood throughout your body. It will also improve your endurance, enabling you to go longer distances faster.

MENTAL BENEFITS •

While canoeing or kayaking, your body releases serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins from neurotransmitters. This will help boost your mood and self-confidence and improve your focus. • These activities can enhance your memory and learning ability. This is because it exercises your hippocampus, one of the largest portions of your brain that is responsible for verbal memory and learning. • If you have trouble sleeping, this activity can improve your sleep. Exercising during the day can make you naturally tired, which helps you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. • Since you’ll be in the sun, your body can produce more vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for strong bones and an effective immune system.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS • Paddling can help

improve your upper-body strength and muscle tone — because you’re using your arms to guide yourself through the water with the paddle. Paddling helps strengthen your arms, shoulders, chest, and back. • You use your legs to balance, maneuver, and change directions in the vessel. In turn, this movement helps strengthen your lower- body muscles. • While trying to stay centered and balanced on the water, you will develop more core strength. Paddling helps work your lower back, abs, and oblique muscles.

Canoeing and kayaking are great outdoor activities to help you get your daily dose of physical activity and a mental health boost. So, enjoy the warm weather and be one with nature — this may be your new favorite summer hobby this year!

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Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – HarmanLawNC.com