I turned out the light and slept peacefully.

PART 21: What I Owed Myself

The following month, the community center invited me to speak at a small gathering for older residents about budgeting and keeping personal documents organized.

I nearly declined.

Standing in front of strangers had never been my favorite thing.

The organizer told me I could simply share practical lessons from my experience without discussing anything I wanted to keep private.

I brought a folder with empty examples of account registers, emergency contacts, and property records.