Safe Money News - Volume 4 issue 2

Volume 4, Issue 2 Playing it Safe “Safe Presents” A vacuum sweeper is neither a safe nor sound idea for a birthday present. So kindly reject that suggestion, which was proffered by a supposedly knowledgeable gift-giving website.

By Steve Dinnen

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personal finance “Should You Keep Home Improvement Records?”

Everyone hates to keep records, but consider the consequences if you have a gain and a portion of it cannot be excluded. You will be hit with capital gains (CG).

By Thompson Myers & Associates Cont. Page 7

Safety Pins “Eye On Summer” As beneficial as sunlight may be to a person’s overall health, without taking proper precautions, those bright, sunny summer days can also be very detrimental to eye health.

The Five Financial Hazards

By Raymond J. Ohlson, CLU, CRC

The legendary American philosopher/poet/preacher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared with what lies within us.” And as we begin to look forward to our retirement years, all of us should consider what’s most important to us and watch out for a few financial hazards that could ruin our plans. No matter your age now and no matter how much you’ve accumulated for your “golden years,” with awareness and planning, you can avoid these financial pitfalls and enjoy a much happier retirement.

By Dr. Dennis Lauck

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Safe Retirement “Seeing the REAL Risk” Investing can also distort the true risk of loss.

Suppose there is a 90% chance that an investment will produce a 10% return each year for the next five years – those are pretty good odds – but perhaps the more important question is how much can you lose if that 1 in 10 chance happens?

By Dr. Jack Marrion

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Safe For Life “Special Lady” Dedication, commitment, love, understanding, discipline – the story of my mother. This is an article long overdue. The reason? It is often difficult writing about someone with whom you have shared a close relationship over 70 years.

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By Norm Wilkens

Safety Pins ... “The Five Financial Hazards“ - Continued Throughout the many years I’ve been in the financial services business, one of the first things I have always done with new clients is sit down, listen to them, and find out, I guess, what’s keeping them up late at night – using a medical analogy – I try to find out “where it hurts!” What’s bothering them when it comes to thinking about their retirement years?

Then I try to see if there’s a “prescription” that we can offer that will help them sleep better at night and get that monkey off their back.”

Now, before I discuss the Five Financial Hazards we all should avoid when planning for retirement, I always mention two concepts: a circle of concern and a circle of influence. The circle of concern includes those events going on in the world around us that we really can’t do too much about. For example, maybe it’s a tornado or some other catastrophic world event.

The other concept, the center of influence, includes the things that we can control or that we can protect ourselves from. My

point is simply this: whether the events in your life are within or without your control, you have to look deep inside yourself to begin to understand and employ the strategies available to you to get through them all. A simple example might be making sure that you have home owner’s insurance so that if a tree falls on your house, it will be taken care of, or if a tornado or a hurricane sweeps through, you know that you can get back in your home or rebuild. So, with apologies to David Letterman, here are my Top 5 Financial Hazards all of us should watch out for!

of us with families to care for – people who depend on us financially – do worry about making sure they can continue to live in the manner they’ve become accustomed to. We want to make sure that our death doesn’t become a financial burden to them. We know that it’s already going to add a tremendous amount of emotional stress to our loved ones that they’re going to have to address, particularly if our passing is sooner than they ever imagined. So, dying is one of my Top 5 Financial Hazards.

Hazard 1: Death

Next is sickness, and I’m not referring to the average, runof-the-mill occasional illnesses – colds, the flu, or perhaps an injury trying to compete in a sport you should have given up years ago! No, I’m speaking about a major illness, one that knocks you out of the game for an extended period or even permanently.

The first financial hazard is death, many times, premature death. Most of us have some degree of fear of dying too soon, though some of us also fear living too long. The “living too long” concept is not usually a concern when you’re very young, because most young people have an innate sense of immortality – that they will live forever; however, those

Hazard 2: Sickness

During our working years, we take care of most of our

Safety Pins ... “The Five Financial Hazards“ - Continued medical needs through group insurance or individual major medical plans, disability income insurance, and critical illness riders. But what about the unexpected cost of health care that is not covered in retirement by your Medicare or Medicare Supplement policy? What about home health care or nursing home care needs due to a chronic illness? These are a few of the “hazards” that you can avoid with products that I refer to as “double- or triple-duty dollars.”

For example, you can own life insurance and annuity contracts with an accelerated death benefit that allows you to use the money in your policy (in most cases, tax-free) while you are living to help offset the cost of non-covered health expenses. Here’s a startling fact: It’s estimated that people in retirement will spend about a quarter of a million dollars on health care costs. Now that’s definitely a hazard!

Hazard 3: Financial Emergencies Financial emergencies is another area of concern for all of us. These are the things that seem to pop up out of nowhere.

Maybe it’s a need for a new furnace, a new roof, a new car, or perhaps a casualty loss not covered by your auto insurance policy. Do you have access to enough liquid funds to handle such emergencies? Think about it for a moment.

When does that old furnace usually give up the ghost?

During the late spring or summer when you don’t need to heat your home? Of course not! It’s on that below-zero day in early January – about the same time your credit card bills come in with all those holiday shopping purchases – that your furnace decides to “retire.”

Have you investigated the cost of replacing a furnace recently?

It’s not what it was ten or twenty years ago, I guarantee you.

It’s usually several thousands

of dollars more. Financial Emergencies are clearly a hazard for all of us, so planning ahead is critical.

Hazard 4: Retirement Income and Maintenance Planning Retirement Income and Maintenance Planning, combined, are two sides of a hazard most folks don’t think about on a daily basis, but they are important. Though most people understand the need for Retirement Planning, Retirement Maintenance is also very important. The reason?

Some retirement plans don’t always work out as initially prepared. Sometimes, for example, inflation gets in the way or expenses just increase.

That is why it’s important to review your retirement income plan on an annual basis with your Safe Money professional.

It just makes sense, doesn’t it? We have our heating and

Safety Pins ... “The Five Financial Hazards“ - Continued cooling systems maintained every year; we do oil changes in our car and have our tires rotated on a regular basis. You should give retirement income planning the same kind of attention.

Furthermore, you should assess your risk tolerance on a regular basis. Most people feel that the exposure to risk should be reduced as they age and their income begins to decrease. If you don’t assess your risk tolerance regularly, how will you know? You can lower your risk of loss to your retirement nest egg even when world events cause havoc in the financial markets. So, put Retirement Income Planning and Retirement Income Maintenance high on your list of “things to review” each year.

Hazard 5: Taxation and Wealth Transfer Finally, Taxation and Wealth Transfer complete our short list of Five Financial Hazards.

Simply stated, “It’s not just what you receive on a gross basis (before taxes) but what you get

to keep after our “Uncle” takes a piece. As you probably know, you can implement retirement income plans that allow you to legally avoid some state and federal taxes. Again, your Safe Money Agent, sometimes working with your accountant, will provide you with lots of information from which you may devise an excellent plan.

We must also take a look at our wealth transfer goals and plans. Many people are fortunate enough to have a financial legacy that they wish to pass down to their children, grandchildren, charities, or other institutions. Though not everyone is passing down millions, their legacy is still very important, nonetheless. Do you have your wealth transfer funds in the best and most taxadvantaged vehicles? Or, have you created a tax time bomb for your recipients? It is awful when, following the loss of a loved one, his or her heirs learn that they now have to pay an inordinate amount of taxes on their inheritance. However, you have many effective alternatives to explore, legal ways to reduce

or eliminate these taxes.

So, maybe it’s time to meet with a Safe Money Places professional and identify the things that keep you up at night (those “hazards”) to find a “prescription” for a tranquil, satisfying retirement.

Remember, “better safe than sorry!”

About the Author: Raymond J. Ohlson CLU, CRC, CEO & President of The Ohlson Group, Inc. and SMP International, LLC Mr. Ohlson entered the insurance business while completing his Bachelor of Science Degree at Ball State University. He quickly qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) of which he is a Life Member.

He also received his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ohlson, a former life insurance company president, currently sits on college and hospital boards and is a published author.

Raymond J. Ohlson can be reached at: Email: rohlson@ohlsongroup.com.

Playing it Safe

Safe Presents

By Steve Dinnen A vacuum sweeper is neither a safe nor sound idea for a birthday present.

Giving the love of your life a tool that would continuously remind her that she’s the one handling the lion’s share of domestic chores is a good way to mar what should otherwise be a pleasant day. So kindly reject that suggestion, which was proffered by a supposedly

knowledgeable gift-giving website.

There are some safer ideas for a birthday gift - or for any other holiday, actually. How about a mani-pedi – a manicure and pedicure? They’re very popular.

And, you don’t have to go farther than the nearest strip mall to find someone willing to make her toes and fingers sparkle.

If you want to ramp it up a bit, you can send your loved one to a day spa. In addition to the mani-pedi, they can get a massage, a salt scrub, and a facial. Day spas are easily found as well. All you do is make the price arrangement – it’s better to buy a package deal than go a la carte – and then let her choose which day to settle in for some relaxation.

A jeweler friend of mine advises, conveniently, that something sparkly might be a good gift for such an occasion.

It need not be anything extravagant; a birthstone might do perfectly well as a bracelet, or ring. (You might steer clear ( Page 5)

Playing it Safe ... “Safe Presents” - Continued of earrings for the mere fact that they’re forever getting lost).

Gift.com has loads of items to order online. A favorite item is a set of stepping stones that can be personalized with the names of the kids, so every time your lady strolls through the garden she can be reminded of the family. Gift. com also offers flowers and sweets, both of which can be a big hit any time of year. They have different price points depending on the size of the bouquet or the number of chocolates involved in an order, but expect to pay a minimum of $40.

A personal favorite with me and especially my wife, is hand-made chocolate. In this instance it’s convenient to turn to Chocolaterie Stam, makers of Dutch-inspired fine chocolates who are based in Des Moines but have shops in six Midwestern states.

They also have an online presence, stamchocolate.com.

In person or over the internet, you can order anything from

a $7.65 tasting kit (but hey, big spender, you can certainly afford more) to $70.42 for a 48-piece “grand jewel.” Take your pick on whether it’ll be dark or milk chocolate.

In a sign of the times, it appears that smart phones and tablets also are popping up as gift ideas. Ditto for gift cards, which really weren’t around 10 years ago, but now can be snapped up anywhere. The advantage here is that if you buy a gift card to a department store, she can shop for whatever she likes rather than you trying to guess whether she will like this color or that, or whether it will fit.

About the Author: Steve Dinnen Steve is a freelance writer specializing in financial and travel news. He received his Bachelors Degree from Drake University and his Master of Journalism from Oklahoma University.

Mr. Dinnen served as Sr. Business Reporter for the Des Moines Register, Business News Editor for the Indianapolis Star and served as Editor (freelance) for the Christian Science Monitor of its weekly personal finance column.

Email: paudel2001@msn.com.

Whatever the gift, make sure you find one. This is not a day to be missed, and shows your appreciation for all the hard work that she’s done the other 364 days of the year.

Learn about more Safe Money Places Financial Concepts Click Here

PERSONAL FINANCE

Should You Keep Home Improvement Records?

By Thompson Myers and Associates, PC Article Highlights: • Keeping home improvement records • Home gain exclusion amounts • Records may be required to avoid tax Many taxpayers don’t feel the need to keep home improvement records, thinking the potential gain will never exceed the amount of the exclusion for home gains ($250,000 or $500,000 if both filer and spouse qualify) if they meet the 2-out-of-5-year use and ownership tests. Here are some situations when Back to Table of Contents

having home improvement records could save taxes: (1) The home is owned for a long period of time, and the combination of appreciation in value due to inflation and improvements exceeds the exclusion amount.

(2) The home is converted to a rental property, and the cost and improvements of the home are needed to establish the depreciable basis of the property.

(3) The home is converted to a second

residence, and the exclusion might not apply to the sale.

(4) You suffer a casualty loss and retain the home after making repairs.

(5) The home is sold before meeting the 2-year use and ownership requirements.

(6) The home only qualifies for a reduced exclusion because the home is sold before meeting the 2-year use and ownership requirements.

(7) One spouse retains the home after a divorce ( Page 7)

personal finance ... “Should You Keep Home Improvement Records?” and is only entitled to a $250,000 exclusion instead of the $500,000 exclusion available to married couples.

(8) There are future tax law changes that could affect the exclusion amounts.

Everyone hates to keep records, but consider the consequences if you have a gain and a portion of it cannot be excluded.

You will be hit with capital gains (CG), and there is a good chance the CG tax rate will be higher than

normal simply because the gain pushed you into a higher CG tax bracket.

Before deciding not to keep records, carefully consider the potential of having a gain in excess of the exclusion amount.

If you have questions related to the home gain exclusion or questions about how keeping home improvement records might directly affect you, please give this office a call.

About Thompson Myers & Associates, PC Accounting Firm Thompson Myers & Associates’ accounting and payroll staff have been delivering professional services to small businesses in Central Indiana for over 20 years.

Having worked with hundreds of small business clients, we have significant expertise with a wide variety of service businesses in Indiana. We have especially strong experience and expertise in working with businesses in the healthcare (medical, dental, etc.) and food service (restaurants, caterers, etc.) industries.

Phone Number: (317) 571-8080 Email: info@thompsonmyers.com Website: https://www.thompsonmyers.com/

SAFETY PINS

Eye On Summer

By Dr. Dennis Lauck With summer rapidly approaching most people find themselves yearning for those bright sunny days and clear skies instead of the dreary overcast days so prevalent during winter in the Midwest.

The benefits of sunlight which provides us with much needed vitamin D are well documented.

However, as beneficial as sunlight may be to a person’s overall health, without taking proper precautions, those bright, sunny summer days can also be very detrimental to eye health.

Damage to the eye occurs from exposure to invisible ultraviolet (UV) light. For most people, the primary source of UV light is the sun. Welding machines, Back to Table of Contents

tanning beds, and lasers can also be sources of harmful radiation. The two types of radiation that are harmful are UVA and UVB rays. Short exposure may cause short term effects called photokeratitis which is like a sun burn of the eyes. This painful, temporary condition does not usually cause any permanent damage; however, longer term exposure to UV radiation can cause more serious side effects, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and skin cancer of the eyelids. Premature aging (wrinkles and dark spots) is often a more visible sign of overexposure to UV radiation.

Up to 90% of skin changes thought to be age-related are

actually caused by the harmful rays of the sun!

So, how do you protect yourself from these harmful rays from the sun? The first line of defense is to wear high quality sunglasses. Sunglass lenses should block out 99% -100% of UVA and UVB radiation.

The lenses should also screen out 75% - 90% of visible light. You should take care to be sure that your sunglass lenses are matched in color, free of distortion, and free of imperfections. Most sunglass lenses are tinted either gray or brown. Occasionally, you may find other tints, such as the green lenses used in the iconic RayBan™ Aviators.

Gray lenses reduce light ( Page 9)

Safety Pins ... “Eye On Summer” - Continued intensity and provide less color distortion. Brown lenses also reduce light intensity and may provide better contrast.

For sports or eye-hazardous work, the lenses should be made of polycarbonate or a Trivex material because these materials are more impact resistant.

Some eyeglass frames provide a “wrap around” feature that may provide additional protection. Wide brimmed hats or caps will also help reduce exposure from the sun. Wearing such a hat may also reduce glare and serves to improve visual acuity. UV damage may occur at a young age since teenagers and children tend to spend more time outdoors than adults. So, don’t forget protection for them!

Also, don’t forget that damage from UV may occur at any time of the year, not just during the summer months, and even on cloudy days.

There are specialty lenses for sun protection. Photochromic lenses change or darken with exposure to UV radiation.

Once you move away from the UV rays (going indoors, for example), the lenses quickly return to clear. These lenses are available in either gray or brown and the material may be polycarbonate, high index, regular plastic, or glass.

The big advantage for these lenses is that they eliminate the need for a second pair of sunglasses or those clipon sunglasses that are hard to find when you misplace them. A major drawback to photochromic lenses, however, is that they do not darken much while driving since the auto glass filters out most of the UV necessary to activate the lenses. Temperature may also affect the darkening process. For instance, very hot weather may stop the lenses from darkening fully; whereas, cold weather can cause the lenses to darken more than normal. These lenses are often referred to as transition lenses because Transition Optical owns the technology for most of the more popular brands.

By the way, Photochromic lenses are available in single

vision, bifocal, and progressive designs.

Polarized lenses are another option for sunglasses. These lenses reduce glare from the reflections off different surfaces, such as roads and water. Most people have experienced those annoying reflections off windshields or rear windows from other cars while in traffic.

When light is reflected off water, for example, it is primarily reflected in a horizontal direction. Instead of the light being scattered in all directions, it is reflected in one direction thus causing an annoying glare. Polarized lenses reduce the glare by filtering the light so that the glare is eliminated.

However, LCD displays, such as dashboards, digital screens, and ATMs may be difficult to see when wearing polarized lenses. Occasionally, cell phones and GPS devices are also hard to see. These lenses are available in photochromic.

Single vision, bifocal, and progressive lenses can be polarized. Whether you’re around water or engaging in any other outdoor activity where

Safety Pins ... “Eye On Summer” - Continued glare may be an issue, your best option may be polarized sunglasses.

Just about any ophthalmic frame can be made into a stylish pair of sunglasses.

Some frames work better than others, and there are some excellent companies who deal only in the manufacturing of high quality sunglasses. It is

About the Author: always best to consult with your eye care professional before Dr. Dennis Lauck.. buying any sunglass. Certain Dr. Lauck is a graduate frames and lenses may be more of Xavier University beneficial for an individual’s in 1969 receiving specific needs. a Bachelor of Science in Natural In short, as you think about buying that sunscreen to protect your body this summer, don’t neglect protection for your eyes!

Sciences. He then attended The Ohio State University College of Optometry, graduating in 1974 with a Doctor of Optometry degree. After graduation he served in the US Army for two years as an optometrist and started his private practice in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1983, Dr. Lauck began working with LensCrafters and became a leaseholding doctor in 1984. He managed and practiced at seven locations until 1999 when he returned to private practice. He is now retired.

Email: dlauck1074@aol.com

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Safe Retirement Seeing The Real Risk

By Dr. Jack Marrion

I’m going to make you an offer on your IRA. We’ll use half a pair of honest dice – one die. If you roll it and it comes up one through five, I’ll add 50% to your current IRA balance – if you have $100,000 and win, you’ll wind up with $150,000!

However, if it comes up with a six, I win your IRA. How about it? If you roll the dice six times the expected average return is a gain of 25%, but that average return distorts the risk of the situation because there is a 16.7% chance that you’ll roll a six on that first try. If you roll a six on the first try, you lose everything; game over.

Investing can also distort the true risk of loss. Suppose there is a 90% chance that an investment will produce a 10% return each year for the next five years – those are pretty good odds – but perhaps the more important question is how much can you lose if that 1 in 10 chance happens? If the loss is 20% and it occurs in your first year, the actual annualized 5-year gain is 3.2%, even though four out of five years produced 10% returns.

I used 20% because a 20% loss is the definition of a bear stock market, but that’s the starting point and not the limit of a bear market loss. In the last bear, market many Back to Table of Contents

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Safe Retirement ... “Seeing The Real Risk” - Continued stock indexes dropped over 50%! Even if there had been a 90% chance that an investment would return an amazing 19% a year for the next five years, if the first year suffered a 50% decline you’d still have a loss at the end of the five years.

A bigger problem with having the boldness to say there is a 90% chance of a gain or that the maximum loss is 50% is that those statements are based on the results of models that like to pretend that finance is the same as physics.

But finance ain’t! Although financial consequences are the result of cause-and-effect, the relationship is not linear and can be completely disrupted by outliers (occurrences with a very small probability of occurrence) that are either unpredicted or are completely ignored because the odds of the nasty event happening are so low.

The belief in 2006 was that there would never be a mortgage bond default crisis

because the mortgage bond quantitative model showed the odds of this happening were too remote. What they should have done was shut off their computers and asked “what if?” Our model says that the possibility that 100% of our “AAA” rated bond portfolio going into default is very remote, but what if it did happen multiple times and what if these defaults forced one of the largest investment banks on the planet out of business?

Could that scenario result in an international banking crisis, and if so, how would that affect the perception of other good quality bonds and the ability of homeowners to borrow? And the answer is: Lehman Brothers did fail and the world narrowly avoided a global depression.

The problem with investments is that it’s impossible to create finite linear math models that can predict the unpredictable.

What that means is to truly understand the risks, sometimes you need to throw away the

spreadsheets, the charts, and the purported “odds” and simply ask, “what if?” You may decide to go in a completely different direction.

About the Author: Dr. Jack Marrion Dr. Marrion’s research on senior decision making and the financial world have been featured in hundreds of publications including: Business Week, Kiplinger, Smart Money, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of six books and a frequent media guest.

Click here To Access Our Financial Dictionary

Safe For Life

Dedication, commitment, love, understanding, discipline – the story of my mother. This is an article long overdue. The reason? It is often difficult writing about someone with whom you have shared a close relationship – joy, tears, pleasure and sorrow – encompassing over seventy years. Let me introduce you to this “Special Lady” by assembling swatches of memories that stand out for me that hopefully will bring her life into sharp focus for those who never met her.

Delta was one of six children who lived to adulthood and was raised on a farm home built by her father in southern Indiana.

The house is still standing Back to Table of Contents

today, even though it’s well over a hundred years old. By today’s standards, Mom would be recognized as an earthy, country girl who could recognize the various animals smells even as she grew older when driving by various farms.

She led cheers in younger days at basketball games until her sister Mary told on her, and her mother made her stop. To her dying day, she swore allegiance to Clifford High School and stated that its arch rival Columbus High School – always cheated.

She played the ukulele and the banjo with relish – singing along to “Five foot two, eyes of blue” as if the song was only meant to

be performed by her.

As children at Christmas, Mom, her two brothers and three sisters were happy to receive an apple or orange in their stockings along with some form of needed clothing gift – socks, scarf or mittens.

Mom was fortunate in that she was educated in Nursing School at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. It was there that she met and dated her husband to be – an intern – at the hospital. They would meet secretly in the third-floor linen closet at the hospital. Nurses in those days were not allowed to fraternize with doctors, but that didn’t curtail them. ( Page 14 )

Safe For Life ... “Special Lady” - Continued On the day of graduation from the Nursing School, she and her classmates went to the local burlesque house to celebrate.

Coming out of the theatre, that day, she ran into one of the “town fathers” from her small farm community. His comment was, “I won’t tell if you won’t!”

When Mom and Dad were newly married, and as he was establishing his medical practice, she would call his office often if patients were present, so it would sound as if he was busy.

One of my earliest memories was of Mom reading the book “Bambi” to my sister and me when I was barely five years old and Sis was under three. Mom put life into all of the animal characters so they became real to the both of us.

Mom was a “Barney Oldfield” when it came to driving her car.

She could “tool” around” with the best of them. She drove five people, including my sister and me, to Florida in 1940 on single highways, over the Smoky Mountains and through the swamps of Georgia in a rain storm, to Miami without a mishap. The trip was originated to allow my sister to overcome breathing challenges during the winters in Indiana. Family legend had it that she once chased a chicken off the road in order to put it in the frying pan for supper.

The car was always a major Back to Table of Contents

part of our family life. Most evenings in the warm summer months, we would climb in the four-door Chrysler and take a ride for a cooling off time usually ending at the Clipper Drive-in for an ice cream soda.

My sister and I realized that my Dad was always a major focus of my Mom’s attention.

However, when Sis or I was ill or, if we were involved in a challenge, that focus changed.

She was always right on top of the situation, and we always received great care and comfort. She was an excellent nurse, and I preferred her shotgiving to my Dad’s efforts. By the way, there was no faking illness in our household – not with a doctor and nurse always in attendance.

As I grew older and started to date in high school, Mom was on hand to teach me how to do the two-step and waltz.

Our basement was the scene of many a slip and slide and stepping on toes until I got the hang of it.

She also helped me memorize my various parts in plays through those formative years – rehearsing all the scenes – voicing the counter parts so I understood how the play flowed.

Mom never missed a recital or play performance from grade school to college. And, I always knew if she thought I didn’t do as well as she thought I was capable of in my stage career.

Most times, she was correct.

A close buddy of mine once told me I had a very pretty mother.

Up to that point in my life, I had never recognized her for being beautiful. That statement changed my whole outlook toward the woman I saw in a housedress.

In later years, when my Dad’s practice had grown, Mom would be requested to serve as a replacement nurse during vacations. There were long days stretching into late evenings. She would come home worn out, with few complaints.

Every Saturday was cleaning day. Each room was given the full vacuum sweeper treatment; windows were washed; everything was dusted – even the crannies. Nothing was left undone. The phrase, “Floors were so clean you could eat off of them” held special truth in our household. Mondays were reserved for washing, drying and ironing clothes. Everything was hung on clothes lines in the backyard. I can still remember the smell of clean sheets as we took them down from the lines.

Mom was in charge of the discipline in the family. We never doubted her love for us, but you didn’t cross my mother. “Spare the rod and spoil the child” was not part of her philosophy. I have often wondered how she would adapt to today’s world of raising a family with her old-fashioned ways of “switching” when I ( Page 15 )

Safe For Life ... “Special Lady” - Continued I needed it. I must have been in my early sixties when she told me once I was not too old to spank! I got the message, even though I knew she was kidding.

Her ability to remember events long past enabled her to focus attention on an accumulation of wrong-doings when she wanted to make a strong point on our behinds. I don’t remember many gray shades with Mom; it was either black or white.

Her word was final! Rarely was “maybe” a part of her vocabulary.

Although she might have lived a bit longer than her almost eighty-seven years, she determined it was time to go.

Even though we were all deeply saddened by her passing away, she was in charge right up until the end of her worldly life.

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The minister preaching her funeral referenced her as “politely assertive” who ruled the household, but loved her family above all others. I have seen her go out of her way to defend family members beyond what you would normally expect. You didn’t tread on “Mother Bear” particularly if we were in the wrong. Then, hold on. It was going to be a rough ride!

My sister was given a note addressed to her and to me just before Mom died. She wrote a simple message that summed up her life. It read, “Remember, I will try to be just a prayer away.” Hopefully you get the picture of the “Special Lady” in our lives.

Happy Mother’s Day…Mom!

About the Author: Norm Wilkens A nationally recognized speaker and writer, Norman Wilkens has traveled to forty-seven of the fifty states speaking on topics of marketing, advertising and public relations.

His most noteworthy subjects include: Healthcare Marketing; Multigenerational travel and Baby Boomers - their contribution to society and economics. He is presently serving as Midwestern Contributor to California’s AAA WESTWAYS Magazine.

Among Wilkens’ current activities are the Butler University Alumni Board of Directors; Butler’s Central Indiana Alumni Chapter Board; Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the new Communication College of Butler; Board of Directors of Ruth Lilly Educational Foundation; Salvation Army of Indiana Advisory Board and as an Elder at Second Presbyterian Church of Indiana.

Email: NormWilkens@aol.com

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