Remembering Wendy with a  

Legacy Society Gift   

In Bonnie's words:

It was early December, a time when most people were shopping and planning festive events, and our family was grieving and planning a 'Celebration of Life' for my twenty-six year old daughter, Wendy.
 
For eighteen long months Wendy had fought an extremely rare and deadly cancer. It was her hope that - just as she was one in four million to have this rare cancer - she would defy the odds and be a survivor. That's who Wendy was: optimistic, inspiring and always hopeful. 
 
At her 'Celebration of Life', collaged story-boards and 'all things Wendy' filled the room. White feathered angel wings hung over the mantle of the candlelit garden center. 
 
I was amazed at the hundreds of family and friends that showed up that December afternoon. Amidst the hugs and tears there was laughter as many 'Wendy stories' were shared. Her kind, generous spirit and tenacity in fighting social injustices were recurring themes. In only twenty-six short years, Wendy had positively impacted many lives. Recognition of Wendy's altruistic legacy was comforting. 
 
With Christmas upon us, the 'new normal' and year of 'firsts without Wendy' was challenging. A special Wendy Christmas tree decorated with angels, butterflies and fairies went up. I took extra gift tags from the Crisis Center's 'Giving Tree' to buy gifts for clients in need to perpetuate Wendy's spirit of giving. I kept recalling the wonderful Wendy stories. I knew that my greatest healing would come from keeping Wendy's spirit alive.
 
As if grieving the loss of a child wasn't burden enough, there was legal paperwork to deal with. One change was to the beneficiaries on my life insurance policy at work. I was planning to remove Wendy, leaving 50% each to my partner and younger daughter. 
 
As I began filling in the form, I started thinking about Wendy and my commitment to her legacy. I thought about my work at the Crisis Center as  

the 2-1-1 call center manager and how we help hundreds of people each day who are facing a crisis or are struggling with suicidal thoughts. I remembered conversations I had with Wendy where she spoke of her passion to help women and children. 
 
It was then I knew what I needed to do.  I would leave Wendy's share to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.  My partner and daughter would not get more 
than a third if Wendy had survived. I also realized Wendy would have put her share to good use by helping others. With pen in hand, I added the Crisis Center as my third beneficiary.
 
I invite you to join me in including the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay in your estate planning. You can visit the webpage of the Legacy Society to learn more.