Take a look at this month's edition of the Client Chronicles!
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50 Years Later
Since I began my job as a typist in May 1972, I consider the people I work with at The Sheppard Law Firm my second family. From the moment in my interview when John Sheppard asked me to work for him to today, this place always feels like home. I was raised as a Florida country girl, taught to believe that once you find a job, you make the best of that job. It’s why I haven’t left — well, kind of. After about 25 years on the job, I decided to retire and move to Missouri to be with my son and his family. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do nothing all day; I believe a job keeps your brain busy. I inquired with local law firms about secretarial positions, but I discovered that many firms were looking for Missouri locals to hire. After just two months away from The Sheppard Law Firm and my Florida life, I decided to move back home. Prior to my Missouri move, Fort Myers had been my home since I was a little girl. I have lived here for the past 65 years and remember when our now-booming city was still just a little town. I graduated from Fort Myers High School in 1966 — back when there were still just two high schools in our city! Back in Missouri, as I prepared to move back to Florida, I decided to email Hugh Kinsey, who has been practicing at The Sheppard Law Firm since 1992. I let him know I was moving back, and I asked him to mention to his peers in the region that a secretary with more than two decades of legal experience was looking for a job again. He Dorothy Berry Still Calls The Sheppard Law Firm Home
responded, “Well, you know your office is still empty. Why don’t you just come back to work here?”
And that’s just what I did! Some people like to tease me that I have only worked for the Sheppard Law Firm for 25 years and that I had to start the clock over, again! (I’ll just tack two months on to my previous anniversary date, and we’ll call it even.) Technicality aside, I’m determined to make it to 50 years. My older brother retired after 50 years with Florida Power and Light, and the younger sister in me would love to hold my record over him! Of all places to break a family record, I couldn’t have imagined a better place than The Sheppard Law Firm. When my husband was extremely ill, they were all supportive of my situation and made it so easy for me to take time off work to be by his side. My husband passed more than 12 years ago, but he was such a special man who adopted my two sons as his own and raised a third son with me. Together, we have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. I’m a proud grandma if you couldn’t tell! As I draft documents for clients and fellow proud grandparents like myself every day, I feel a sense of peace knowing I’m helping families ensure they are covered should something happen. I like talking to our clients, especially all my friends at the Shell Point Retirement Community! I’m a firm believer in hard work and completing my tasks diligently. And despite nearly five decades here, I always learn something new. I don’t mind the critiques; at 72 years old, I’m still learning. I even make sure I learn at home! I recently bought a sewing machine — it’s a little too fancy for what I need— and I’m attempting to sew a few projects. When the Florida summer is too hot, I like to playWords with Friends to challenge my mind. I value learning and staying sharp. Thanks to The Sheppard Law Firm, I’ve had a place to learn and help others for nearly 50 years. The fact that the people here are my second family is an added bonus that I feel very blessed to have.
– Dorothy Berry
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September 2020
Gardening, Gold, and Photo Shoots 3 Fun Family Activities for Fall
Pan for gold. Here’s one that’s really off the beaten path: Take your family on an adventure panning for gold! Start by planning a road trip out to an old ghost town. Many of them have great tourist attractions that include gold panning. You probably won’t get rich, but it will still be a fun story. If you’re not able to make the trip, you can always create a gold panning operation at home! Visit MessForLess.net/panning-for-gold-activity for a great step-by-step guide on how to go panning for gold in your own backyard. Plan a fall photo shoot. It’s time to freshen up those family pictures hanging around the house. The changing leaves provide a beautiful background for any family portrait. Better yet, the cooler temperatures mean that an outdoor photo shoot won’t be nearly as uncomfortable as it would be in the summer. You can take your pictures by the trees in the front yard or make a daytrip of it. What about pictures at the corn maze or pumpkin patch? It’s never too soon to start planning this year’s holiday card.
It’s fall, whichmeans social media will soon be saturated with pictures of
your friends enjoying“classic” fall activities. Photos of leaf peeping, apple picking, and the occasional scarecrow run rampant. But rather than following the herd, you canmake your family the trendsetter of unique fall
activities! Here are a few outdoor endeavors your family will love. Get gardening. Fall is the time for harvest, but if you want to enjoy flowers in the spring, it’s also a time for planting. The cooler autumn air is easier on plants, but the soil is still warm enough for roots to grow before the ground freezes for winter. Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all spring bulbs that need to be planted in the fall. Do a little research with your family to determine the best time to start planting in your area.
Spend this fall outdoors and create great new memories with your family!
3 Steps to Lower Your Risk of Falling at Home
Many of us are spending more time than usual at home in 2020. As this has become the norm to curb the spread of COVID-19, we are working from our home offices, attending happy hours and weddings from the couch, and finding endless ways to entertain ourselves. Let the Leaves Fall Instead
As you sluggishly maneuver from your bed to the hallway, a table blocks your way, and despite being the expert of your home, you trip and land on the ground. Imagine that fall results in a broken hip or causes a back spasm. Getting up would be impossible. Keep your home’s hallways clear to limit the risk of a fall. Give yourself room tomove!
Still, home isn’t a sanctuary for everyone.
Step 2. Improve Lighting: Dimly lit rooms can limit visibility, which can ultimately also lead to a tripping scenario similar to the one described previously. Lights with a motion sensor can illuminate the way as you walk, and bright bulbs can ensure you don’t miss anything in your path. Step 3. MoveMore: Moving is beneficial inmany ways and it lowers your risk of a fall. Our bodies were made tomove, and when we remain sedentary, our joints andmuscles get weaker, which can result in poor balance. Mitigate this with daily walks, physical therapy regimens, or workout programs designed for balance. As you work toward prevention, also consider what will happen after you fall. Are your medical powers of attorney up to date? Are your affairs in order, God forbid something happens? Does your family have access to your passwords? Don’t wait until a fall happens to remember to address your estate plan. Please give our team a call if these preventive measures remind you that it’s time for an update.
According to the World Health Organization, anywhere from 50% to 75% of falls among older adults happen at home. The National Council on Aging reports that 1 in 4 older adults will fall each year, and those falls are the leading cause of injuries —which can result in death — among older adults. With proper prevention, the home can become an oasis for everyone. Take these three simple steps to lower your risk of falling this fall. Step 1. ClearWalkways: Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with that all too familiar urge to use the restroomor a hankering for a midnight snack.
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Revealing Your Vulnerabilities
In a June column in the Sanibel Island Sun, Sheppard LawFirmattorney CraigHersch posed an important question in the estate planning process. Below is an edited snippet from“Revealing Vulnerabilities Necessary to Create an Appropriate Estate Plan.” You can read the full version at SBSHLaw.com. I often begin my initial consultations with a question. “What do we hope to accomplish today?” I intend for that question to be more complex than simply asking who should get what in an estate plan. The longer I practice estate planning law, the more I find it revolves around emotion and feelings rather than a technical exercise of transferring wealth. When we’re first married and our children are young, life is relatively simple and so are our estate plans. Our major assets might include a residence, retirement account, and life insurance. Our relationships are fresh and straightforward. We worry over who will act as the guardian of our children if we should die in a plane crash. As we reach retirement age, it all becomes more complicated. We may still be in our first marriage, enjoyingmany years together. Or we may be in another relationship, complete with step-relations. Our children are no longer those rascals playing in the backyard. Instead, they’ve grown into adults who have their own strengths and weaknesses.
They’ve married (and perhaps divorced) and have families.
We worry about our grandchildren’s education. College is somuchmore expensive today than ever before. Yet a college diploma is a ticket to a better lifestyle in our economy. Our assets are a hodgepodge of complexity. We opened IRAs and 401(k) accounts that have minimum required distributions once we’re 72. We have bank accounts, investment accounts, second residences and, perhaps, rental properties. Life is good, but not simple. So when you sit down withme, your estate planning attorney, I need to know a few things. I want to knowwhat you’re worried about. Most of us don’t want to think about our own demise. It’s ghoulish and against human nature to do so. What is it that keeps you awake at night when you think about leaving your loved ones behind? This requires deep thought that could expose vulnerabilities — both yours and those of your loved ones. That’s where I can help. When I hear exactly what my clients think, beyond the dollars and cents, we can get creative. So, that’s where we begin — with a simple question: “What do you hope to accomplish today?”
Craig Hersch: As Your Life Grows, Your Estate Plan Should, Too
E a s y S t u ff e d S w e
Who says a loaded potato has to clog your arteries? In this healthy version that serves four, a sweet potato base is topped with fiber-rich bean salsa
INGREDIENTS:
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4 medium sweet potatoes
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1 tsp coriander
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sour cream
• • •
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
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DIRECTIONS: 1. With a fork, prick each sweet potato a few times. Microwave the potatoes on high 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through. 2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt. When the potatoes are done, microwave the mixture on high for 2–3 minutes. 3. Cool potatoes slightly, then cut each potato open lengthwise. Pull the halves apart to create space to spoon the warmbean salsa inside. 4. Add a scoop of sour cream to each potato, garnish with cilantro, and serve!
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Inspired by EatingWell.com
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INSIDE this issue
Get to Know a Pillar of The Sheppard Law Firm, Dorothy Berry! ........................1
3 Fun Family Activities for Fall .................2
Don’t Fall This Fall With These 3 Tips.......2
Craig Hersch’s Column: What Do We Hope to AccomplishWith Your Estate Plan? .................................................3
The Truth Behind the 21st Night of September ..............................................4
r ?
a t H a
“Do you remember the 21st night of September?”
White andWillis proved to be excellent songwriting partners, but they clashed over one key element of the song: the nonsensical phrase “ba-dee-ya,”which White included in the chorus. Throughout the songwriting process, Willis begged to change the phrase to real words. At the final vocal session, Willis finally demanded to know what ba-dee-ya meant. White replied, “Who cares?”
In 1978, Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind & Fire first asked this question in the song “September,” a funky disco song that quickly topped the charts. While disco may be dead today, “September” certainly isn’t. The song is still featured in movies, TV shows, and wedding playlists. On Sept. 21, 2019, the funk hit was streamed over 2.5 million times. It’s no wonder that the Los Angeles City Council declared Sept. 21 Earth, Wind & Fire Day. The story behind “September” is almost as enduring as the song itself. It was co-written by White and Allee Willis, who eventually became a Grammy-winning songwriter and Tony nominee. But before any of that, Willis was a struggling songwriter in Los Angeles living off food stamps. When White reached out and askedWillis to help write the next Earth, Wind & Fire hit, it was truly her big break.
“I learned my greatest lesson ever in songwriting from him,”Willis recalled in a 2014 interview with NPR, “which was never let the lyric get in the way of the groove.” The groove is why “September” has stood the test of time, right from that very first lyric. For decades, people have askedWillis and members of the band about the significance of Sept. 21. As it turns out, there isn’t much beyond the sound. “We went through all the dates: ‘Do you remember the first, the second, the third, the fourth …’ and the one that just felt the best was the 21st,”Willis explained.
The truth is that nothing happened on the 21st night of September — except a whole lot of dancing.
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