one Year Later -Building a Legacy of Love Letters

A year ago, I took a leap of faith.

After being in the real estate industry for almost a decade, I stumbled upon a listing for a small firm looking to add a Client Services Director to the team. Within my first interview, I recognized the glimmer of an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself. I saw in Ryan her resolve to make a difference, and I couldn’t help but embrace my curiosity and join her on her mission.

Over the last year, I have worked hard, learned a lot, and made wonderful memories. However, the most important thing I will take with me is the preciousness of our stories and the sacredness of preserving history for generations to come. Every day is a chance to write our own history, and every day I am lucky enough to take part in recording the histories of some truly remarkable people.

Our clients have graciously shared their stories with me, and I am always blown away by the commonness of our human experience. I am humbled to bear witness to history unfolding - the written and recorded accounts of real lives, real love, and real adventures of real people. I think about lives lived before us, and how they continue to shape and influence the world around us. I wonder what they would have said to their spouses, great-grandchildren, and communities if they knew that their stories would have been recorded in perpetuity. Would they have shared a memory of a quiet, warm afternoon with their newborn baby? Would they have left words of encouragement or hard-earned nuggets of wisdom for generations to come? Would they have recounted a death-defying ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro? Would they share the story of how they met their soulmate? Would we hear ourselves in their laughs or see our children in their smiles?

Throughout history, we have made rapid advancements in technology with the purpose to create tangible evidence of our thoughts, feelings, dreams, truths, discoveries and ideas. From typewriters to cameras to televisions, humans have always wanted to find a way to remind the world that we existed. We were here, and we had something to say.

We all have fears, dreams, and people that we love. We all have moments of heartbreak and indescribable joy, and the fundamental truth that connects us all is that we get one shot to make this life count. Death is the great equalizer. No matter what assets you acquire in this lifetime, there is always an expiration date. While this thought used to scare me, the finality of it all, this role has shifted my perspective. We need to give people their flowers before their funeral, because the only thing that matters when we reach the end of this life is how we loved each other.

So if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to pass out a few bouquets.

To Our Clients:

You are priceless. Of course, there is the technical side of our relationship that includes emails, account numbers, and appointment reminders, but your openness when sharing your stories with me throughout this process has allowed us to help capture life’s greatest commodity. It is a privilege to be able to help you record your legacies. The documents we write and the Legacy Interviews we film are the love-letters your families will regard as heirlooms someday, and the romantic in me cherishes the opportunity to help you put them together for them. Thank you for opening your hearts, embracing the hard conversations, and taking steps to protect your families. Your trust and support has touched me deeply.

To the members of the LGBTQ+ community:

While I think I have always considered myself an ally, the proximity of this position to the work of the LGBTQ+ community has opened my eyes to the strength, love and valor that each of you carry inside you. I am inspired by the love stories that bloomed in darkness and the tenacity with which you have fought for your rights to be respected. I see the love and light that pulses through this community, and I will continue to amplify your voices at any given opportunity. The more I learn about the vulnerabilities that still exist for you and your families, the more committed I am to being a guardian, an advocate, and creating safe spaces for you and your children to exist exactly as you are.

To our Colleagues:

I firmly believe that in order to be successful in any role, any field, or any position, you need to be able to surround yourself with high-caliber talent and genuinely good humans. From the staff at Center 615, to our referral partners, to the buddies I have made through our networking and community outreach events, I appreciate your support (and patience) while I have settled into my new role. I am grateful to be a part of such an impressive network of professionals.

To Ryan:

Thank you for taking a chance on me and for trusting me with your dream. I have learned so much from you and am deeply grateful for your friendship. You are the real deal - kind, generous and authentic. I am honored to be a part of this important work and am so excited for what is on the horizon. I am convinced we are going to change the world and leave it better than we found it.

Whether you and I are old friends or have yet to meet face-to-face, I am so glad you’re here. I hope you know how much you matter, and I am happy to remind you that your voice deserves to be heard and your story deserves to be remembered. We invite you to reach out; we will take your hand and guide you through every step of creating a plan for your death that gives you peace for your life.

This year has been an incredible and exhilarating adventure, and I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us. Onward and upward!

Love,

Kalyn