10/18/2022
I wouldn't say that I'm a worrier. But I would say that I'm a planner. I'm always running through "what if" scenarios, both good and bad to assess the outcomes.
When my son was little, my husband and I, being in the family business, had to travel without him on occasion. I'm not a white knuckle flyer, but I do run through the possibility of the worst case scenario. What if we didn't get to go home to him?
As I mentioned, I'm a planner. We had a will. We had chosen who would take care of him. Money had been set aside so that he would provided for. But what about the intangible stuff?
Would he remember us and know how much we loved him? Would he know our hopes and dreams for him? Would he remember the lessons we taught him? As young as he was, would he even remember our faces, our voices?
Those are the thoughts that kept me up at night. The seed was planted back then, that we needed to take steps to plan now for our final words, way before they were even needed. We don't know what the future holds, but we can plan for it.
In case we missed his graduation, there would be words of how proud we were of him for his accomplishment. On his wedding day, he would hear that we had been praying for his future bride all of his life. The day his first child is born, he would hear directly from us that we know he is going to be an amazing daddy.
The final words we prepare and record may be just what they need to hear. Those words of love, gratitude, and thanks spoken from the heart may bring comfort and healing to those that we leave behind.
Thankfully, our little family of three is alive and well. And our young son is now 20. He has grown into an amazing young man with incredible talent. He is a videographer and film editor. When I shared with him my passion to serve others by helping them share their final words for their loved ones, he was all in. Thus the beginning of Before You Geaux. We are currently in our pre-launch phase, creating videos for select friends and family. Test runs, if you will, to streamline the customer experience. We anticipate rolling out in late November with video packages available. Our plan is to service the greater New Orleans area and beyond.
We would be humbled if what we create for our clients brings hope, healing and comfort to the families left behind. If this type of service would interest you, please reach out to us.
Sincerely,
Stacey and Nicholas Howat
