Trinity Elder Law - February 2021

Trinity Elder Law - February 2021

Getting Up Peace of Mind Post

FEBRUARY 2021

FIGHTING THROUGH A LOW POINT TO GET TO A CAREER I LOVE TODAY

typically not meeting them at the lowest points in their life. Instead, I’m helping them create a safety net that offers peace of mind. That discovery eventually led to the creation of Trinity Elder Law & Estate Planning, but I often think back to myself as a first-year law student crying in the library because I just didn’t know if this was the right path for me. But I got back up, fought through the uncertainty, and today, I have a career I love. I wish I could go back and tell my law school self that because now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. The best choice I ever made was getting back up during a time when I felt so low. I like to think that 2021 is everyone’s time to get back up. No matter what happened last year or the disappointments you faced, now is your opportunity to get up and keep pursuing what makes you happy. It might sound trite, but you’re never too old to find a new passion or do something hard. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” If this past year has done anything, it has reaffirmed my passion for the work we do every day at Trinity Elder Law. Now more than ever, we need to make plans for our loved ones and our futures, and I’m proud to help people do that. If only I could have known this is where I would be when I first

I have to be honest: February isn’t my favorite month. It’s a hard month to get through, as it’s still pretty dark and cold out, and many of us are just itching for spring. But when I discovered that Feb. 1 was National Get Up Day, I couldn’t help but think about how fitting that was for a month that many agree can be difficult. When thinking about the times I had to “get up” and fight back, I most often think of law school. After earning my undergraduate degree in history, I continued on my plan to go to law school. However, I quickly found out I didn’t like law school very much. The first year was really different than what I had expected, and I couldn’t find an aspect of law that interested me. I considered walking away after my first year to pursue a Ph.D. in history instead of continuing on in law school. I did a lot of soul-searching the summer after my first year, and decided to give law school another try. Maybe it would be better, I thought. And I was right. In my second year of law school, I found that I enjoyed tax law and estate planning. I was most captivated by the idea of helping people before problems arise. That’s the entire goal of estate planning. I take a proactive approach to the law to ensure you and your loved ones are prepared for life’s biggest challenges. While I help many clients through obstacles, I’m

Here is a picture of my new four legged family member, Geronimo (Mo for short). This doesn’t tie in with the story, per se, but I feel you can’t go wrong with a puppy picture!

started law school, it might have made “getting up” that much easier.

Thank you for trusting our team with your plans and helping my dreams grow.

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The Top 3 Things All

LONELY ON VALENTINE’S DAY? TRY THESE 3 TRICKS TO IMPROVE YOUR MINDSET If you feel like the “before” actor in a Match.com commercial right now, you’re not the only one. Valentine’s Day causes an epidemic of loneliness. But contrary to those cheesy commercials, the feeling isn’t exclusive to people struggling to find a date — and it won’t necessarily be solved by one. desires for social connection and actual experiences of it.” That means you can get lonely any time you crave a deeper connection to someone, even if you’re married and have 500 Facebook friends. If COVID-19 lockdowns and canceled holiday celebrations have left you frustrated and sad, you’ve caught the loneliness bug. How can you fight the feeling? • Work out your social muscles. If you don’t push yourself to connect with others regularly, it’s easy to fall into the trap of loneliness and depression. You have to commit to your social life just like you would to an exercise routine. To do this, try blocking off time in your calendar to call your friends or loved ones, or join an online group with regular Zoom meetings you’re committed to showing up for. • Add more art into your social life. Researcher Jeremy Nobel, the head of The UnLonely Project, says that getting creative with other people could help reverse loneliness. If you’re feeling disconnected, try collaborating with your sibling, roommate, friend, spouse, or child on something artistic. You can paint together, have a jam session, take photos, or write a poem. Whatever you choose, getting creative will bring you closer. • Find and fix your negative behaviors. Does scrolling through social media make you feel like you’re missing out on all the fun or leave you feeling like a zombie? If so, it’s probably time for a hiatus. As you go about your day or week, keep a notebook with you and write down what you’re doing when you feel loneliness creep in. By identifying those negative behaviors and swapping them with positive ones, you can turn your thoughts around. What is loneliness, really? Psychology Today defines loneliness as “the state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one’s Loneliness is serious: It’s a predictor of premature death, and one leading researcher compared its health impacts to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. If you’re coping with loneliness, try the tips above, and if you continue to struggle, reach out to a counselor near you.

BEFORE THEY GET S

Spouses are our partners in life, so it’s difficult to imagine our lives without them. But preparing for the inevitable is what the estate planning process is all about. It’s unpleasant to think about your partner getting sick, becoming incapacitated, or passing, but we want to encourage you to have these uncomfortable discussions before it’s too late. Talk about what your wishes are in the event that you become sick or pass unexpectedly. Determine how to manage your finances and what medical decisions you would like to be made on your behalf. The good news is that with the help of an elder law attorney, you can have these discussions with an expert who is well- versed in these decisions and your options. As the experts, our team at Trinity Elder Law recommends all couples discuss several important details before the issue arises. Here are our top three. 1. Know the Financials: We often see that one spouse is an expert in the couple’s finances. Typically, they are the ones paying the bills and managing investments. They also often know all the passwords to online

K i nd Words FROM OUR CLIENTS

Online reviews are one of the best ways for you to help us help others! We would greatly appreciate it if you could leave us a review on Google or Facebook if our team has helped you in anyway.

For inspiration, take a look at what LuAnn had to say!

“Attorney [Julie] Anderson and her amazing staff are conscientious, kind, compassionate, and excellent at their knowledge of elder care laws and estate [planning]. I highly recommend them.” -LuAnn C. We’re honored to use our expertise to help clients like LuAnn find the peace of mind they deserve. Thank you, LuAnn!

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SHOWYOUR HEART SOME LOVE 4 Preventive Steps You Can Take During American Heart Month In addition to the chocolate hearts and heartfelt notes we will send this month for Valentine’s Day, February is also American Heart Month. The goal is to consider the ways we can improve our heart health and lower our risk of heart disease — the No. 1 killer in the United States. Let’s change that statistic. Here are four steps you can take to do just that this February. Eat Well One of the easiest — and tastiest — ways to boost your heart’s function is to eat a diet rich in heart-friendly vitamins and nutrients. Foods like leafy greens, salmon, berries, beans, and dark chocolate have been shown to be the best for your ticker. You can determine if a food is heart-healthy by looking for the American Heart Association seal or good monounsaturated fats on the nutrition label. Reduce Stress Daily expectations and pressures can create stress, which has adverse effects on your health. As your mental health declines, you may experience nausea, insomnia, headaches, and, yes, heart conditions. Stress increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure. Prevention is simple: Take time to relax! Some tactics include reading, walking, or meditating. Get Moving Like your biceps or quadriceps, your heart is a muscle that needs to be worked — and beat faster — to get stronger. The good news is that you don’t have to exercise very hard to make this happen! Go for a walk, bike ride, hike, or swim or do other joint-friendly and easy activities to get your heart working. Stabilize Chronic Conditions In recent decades, health experts have come to better understand the different ways the body and heart are connected. For example, a stroke can cause vascular dementia. Similarly, those with diabetes face an increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Managing your diabetes and other conditions, like kidney and liver disease, can also protect your heart. Talk with your doctor about the best methods for managing your conditions and protecting your heart.

l Spouses Should Discuss

SICK OR PASS AWAY

accounts for paying bills. We would encourage you to change this. You don’t have to pay bills together. (How’s that for date night?) But you should both know which bills get paid when, how to access accounts, and the process for saving and spending. 2. Determine Powers of Attorney: Both financial and medical directives need to be made prior to an accident. This ensures the other spouse — or whomever you decide is best — is able to make the financial and medical decisions that person would want should they become unable to make these choices themselves. 3. Create a Will: When a person dies without a will, the courts will determine who gets which of the deceased’s assets. This could mean their wishes are not fulfilled and could create animosity in the family. A will and other estate planning directives can avoid this. If this is your second marriage, this may be more vital as families and expectations blend together. These conversations can be awkward, but with the help of a trusted expert, you can ensure your wishes are met. Begin planning for the inevitable so you can enjoy today worry-free. Call Trinity Elder Law to get started or to update your plan, and please direct those who may need help to us, too!

Strawberry Kissed Almond Butter Muffins

Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com

INGREDIENTS

• • • •

1 cup oat flour

• •

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed 3/4 cup natural creamy almond butter (can substitute creamy peanut butter)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup strawberry fruit spread, divided (we recommend Bonne Maman INTENSE)

• •

2 large eggs

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)

•

1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

5. Evenly divide batter into liners. Add 1 tsp strawberry fruit spread to the top of each muffin. 6. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the spread into the batter. 7. Bake for 22–27 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 8. Transfer muffins to wire rack to cool and enjoy!

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin

with liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, mix bananas, almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. 4. Stir in oat flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth.

For more heart-healthy tips, visit the American Heart Association online at Heart.org.

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340 N. Main St., Suite 103 Butler, PA 16001 724.256.8850 www.TrinityElderLaw.com

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INSIDE This Issue

1

It’s Time to Get Up!

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Kick Loneliness to the Curb This Valentine’s Day 3 Things You Need to Discuss With Your Spouse Strawberry Kissed Almond Butter Muffins 4 Preventive Steps to Take During American Heart Month

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The Deadly Revenge of 17th Century Chocoholics

The Original Death by Chocolate 17TH CENTURY CHOCOHOLICS GET REVENGE

by poisoning his daily cup of chocolatl , an Aztec chocolate drink. Who knew the ancestor of hot cocoa could be so deadly? Surprisingly, this crazy story isn’t the origin of the “death by chocolate” cake we love today. That dessert was created in 1993 by Chef Marcel Desaulniers, then-owner of The Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. Here’s the restaurant’s mouthwatering description of the seven-layer confection, which takes three days to make: “The decadence begins with layers of moist chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, crunchy chocolate meringue, and an airy chocolate mousse. The cake is then coated in a glaze of dark chocolate and served on a pool of chocolate sauce with house-made milk chocolate ice cream, topped with a hand-rolled white chocolate truffle, and finally dusted with white chocolate powder.”

How much do you love chocolate? Would you be willing to die for a taste of your favorite candy bar? Would you kill for one? You’ve probably never thought to ask yourself these questions, but if tall tales can be believed, arguments over chocolate have, in fact, turned deadly. National Dark Chocolate Day and National Chocolate Fondue Day both fall this month (on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, respectively), and in honor of those tasty holidays, we investigated the original “death by chocolate” — an act of legendary revenge. Rumor has it that the controversy started in the 1600s in Chiapas, Mexico, when a group of chocoholic churchgoers started bringing their favorite sweet snack to services. This annoyed the bishop, who resorted to banning parishioners from eating chocolate during church. As an article in Indian Country Today tells it, the chocoholics got back at the bishop

Is your mouth watering yet? The original version of death by chocolate might be a bit complex for the average chef, but if you’re craving a slice, you can find more accessible recipes at Delish.com and SugarGeekShow.com. Just remember that when you pull it out of the oven, we don’t live in the 1600s, so you should probably restrain yourself from poisoning anyone who steals a bite!

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