The unthinkable happened to Chanel Reynolds in July 2009: her husband, José, 44, was struck by a van while riding his bicycle in their hometown of Seattle, Wash. It took a week for him to die--hooked up to life support. Reynolds states, "I did not choose for him to die but I had to choose to let him go."
In What Matters Most, Reynolds's first book, she shares the intimate story of her husband's accident, her struggle to make critical life-and-death decisions and how those decisions affected her along with their young son, Gabi, and José's daughter, Lyric, from a prior marriage.
This shocking event marked the start of a long, painful odyssey. Reynolds felt totally overwhelmed while standing at José's bedside in the ICU. As she watched his life hang in the balance, Reynolds tried to talk herself through the trauma. At one point, she unknowingly uttered the phrase "get your sh*t together" aloud. That mantra--which she refers to as "GYST"--carried her through her husband's final days and was recited more and more frequently in the aftermath of his death. Reynolds faced an onslaught of red tape--everything from dealing with mortgage and car payments, deciphering bank accounts, and understanding life insurance and wills to figuring out next steps for her and the kids. Reynolds was forced to learn things the hard way. This led her, three years later, to launch a website called Get Your Sh*t Together, aimed at helping others avoid unpreparedness.
Her book compiles work from her website and shares her extensive research through surveys, conversations with experts and hearing the stories of thousands of people across the country who have taken her workshops. The sections where she walks readers through the painstaking details of her own experiences are incredibly moving and engaging. While offering profound insights into the emotional minefield of loss--letting go, grieving and finding a way forward--she also outlines ways to navigate and address more pragmatic concerns.
Readers can come away with a clear understanding of what they need to do before disaster strikes in their own lives. Reynolds's strategies are supported by concise, easy-to-follow lists and checklists that encourage people to keep and secure up-to-date records of all personal information. She stresses the importance of making an emergency contact and contingency plan and establishing a financial emergency fund. She breaks down aspects of life insurance--why it's important and what kind of policy is best--and explains the value of wills, trusts and advanced-care directives.
Reynolds is not a financial or legal adviser. However, her story, told from the trenches of life, is powerful and wise. Her message--sort out your finances and get your end-of-life wishes in order before it's too late--offers readers a generous opportunity to learn from her experiences so as to be more fully prepared. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines.
Shelf Talker: A widow and mother shares her story of loss--and its aftermath--in order to help others prepare for the practical considerations when losing a loved one.