By Cindy Kent

Where there's a will -- there's peace of mind.

My annual Valentine's Day tradition is to give my loved ones a lasting and meaningful gift. Last year, I gave my significant other a year's gym membership and my son, an annual membership to the Museum of Science and Discovery.

But this year, they're getting a gift they don't really want to think about.

I'm finally getting to the task of executing a will, something I should have done decades ago. While we cannot ultimately control how we meet our final fate, getting some things in order beforehand is important for the loved ones we leave behind. And being proactive feels good.

Discussing the idea and desire to get wills drawn up made my significant other sad and anxious. So imagine how children feel about discussing the death of a parent, even under the best of circumstances. Everyone is healthy, happy and just fine. We are living and loving life.

We're handling some important issues: wills, appointing medical advocates, selecting power of attorney and naming beneficiaries. This will enable my family to deal with urgent, sad and serious situations when they arise. And they need to know we have this in place.

How would you approach the subject with your children? Or have you already?

Cindy Kent is a reporter assistant at the Sun-Sentinel and a Fort Lauderdale mother of three children ages 12 to 28.

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