Your Intangible Estate Plan
What do the French baguette, the Kalela dance of Zambia, and the khanjar, a dagger worn on the belt by Omani men during ceremonious occasions, have in common? They are all recognized by the United Nations as part of the intangible cultural heritage of the parts of the world where they originate. Intangible heritage is a set of practices and techniques that are specific to particular groups of people. To participate in them, you must learn them from someone who knows and then practice for years. Your family probably has its own intangible cultural heritage, whether you have ever thought about it that way. For example, lots of families exchange gifts on Christmas morning, but no one does it quite the same way as your family; maybe your family has its own system for deciding who opens which gift first, or perhaps you sing particular Christmas carols at certain points in the gift exchange. Likewise, perhaps members of your family wish each other well on school exams by saying, “Break a dendrite.” Intangible cultural heritage is the recipes that multiple members of your family make, but you may or may not have written down. It is the tall tales about feats of courage or foolhardiness undertaken by your grandparents in their youth. For help working out the legal basics of your estate plan so that you have more time to focus on preserving your family’s intangible cultural heritage, contact an Orlando estate planning lawyer.
How to Preserve Your Family’s Intangible Cultural Heritage
The word intangible refers to anything that is not a physical object. A saxophone is tangible, but jazz is not. Your grandfather’s eyepatch is tangible, but the story of why he wears it is not. Intangible heritage dies with the people who possess it unless they pass it on to other people while they are still alive.
The best way to pass on your intangible family heritage is to spend time with your family. Make time to tell your younger relatives the things you learned from the older generations of your family. Writing down the bread pudding recipe you learned from your mother is great, but making bread pudding in the presence of your niece and your daughter-in-law is even better. Make videos of yourself telling the stories your parents used to tell you about your childhood; even if you think you look and sound terrible on camera, think about the big picture, about how the generations after you will get to hear your stories. If you need motivation, think about the knowledge, the intangible heritage, that your own grandparents possessed, which is in danger of being lost.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your family could cherish your intangible cultural heritage instead of fighting about your medical care or your property? This is why you need an estate plan.
Contact Gierach and Gierach About Passing Down the Treasures That Money Can’t Buy
An estate planning lawyer can help you draft important legal documents related to your old age and to the transfer of your property after you die. Contact Gierach and Gierach, P.A. in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
ich.unesco.org/en/lists
