Many of us love the thrill of an adventure novel while unenthused or downright terrified by real life’s unexpected twists and turns. Yet, life is anything but predictable.

We might not be able to anticipate when and where tragic circumstances like severe injury and death will occur. Still, we can take steps to be as prepared as possible for the aftermath of virtually any situation.

Such preparation goes far beyond buying insurance. Considering the financial consequences of potential disasters is only one part of being prepared.

Whitney Lyn Allen Gadecki explained the agonizing decision she had to make on behalf of her husband when he suffered severe, irreparable brain damage after an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting.

The couple had planned ahead by buying life and disability insurance but didn’t have advanced directives for decisions about life support.

“I had to make the decision on my own,” Gadecki said. “You don’t want to think about your spouse dying. I will not lie, it was a terrible thing to watch.”

Experts advise thinking of every possible scenario and planning the appropriate paperwork, legal and casual, that your loved ones can find and use if you die or become unable to make decisions. You then store it somewhere they know to find it—in a legacy box or drawer.

Preparing a legacy draw will bring you peace of mind—but a more important gift is the peace and ease it will provide your loved ones in a time of grief or loss. As Gadecki said, a family’s obligation is to take care of one another.

My husband and I first learned about legacy drawers nearly twenty years ago. We were young parents taking financial guru Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class at our church.

“You’ll want to skip the session on insurance, thinking you’re covered,” Ramsey noted in an introductory lesson to the course. “Don’t.”

We didn’t. Much of the information we heard was new to us—including preparing everything necessary to create a legacy drawer.

We immediately met with a lawyer to write wills and other legal documents. We purchased both life and short-term disability insurance. Then we tucked everything safely away, hoping we’d never have to think about it again.

In fact, we nearly forgot about it until three months after my husband was injured on a construction job site. His knee wasn’t healing on its own, and he needed surgery. The recovery was another four to five months.

However, the disability insurance payments helped us keep our house at a critical time when we were running out of our savings.

In researching this article, I was reminded that my husband and I need to revisit our legacy drawer and update it with passwords and other critical information that will make life easier for our loved ones if something happens to us.

You can read the full article to learn what essentials should go in your legacy box and more tips about the process of creating one.

Just don’t procrastinate, because, as Gadecki learned, you always think you have time. Sometimes you don’t.