Eleanor Whitman drove down the long driveway, toward the house that now belonged to her.  She made that drive so many times in the past, to visit her grandmother, but now the voyage seemed more lonely than exciting. 

Her grandmother recently passed away, after a long healthy life.  She was 96 years old at the time of her death, and she was ready.  Clara Whitman was a force throughout her life.  She was independent and focused, and smarter than she was supposed to be for her generation.

Clara Whitman was born into money, but never let it rule her life.  She worked hard and did it all.  She was a wife, a mother, a business owner, and used her voice in the community to make change for the better. Eleanor thought about the stories her grandmother used to tell and the legacy she left.  Eleanor didn’t feel that she would be able to fill her shoes, but she was going to try.

Eleanor’s car pulled around to the front of the main house.  She stopped and got out looking up at the house she knew as her grandmother’s home.  It was large and stately and situated on a large estate.  The house was well cared for, and her grandmother left instructions on how to keep the estate that way.

Eleanor was still standing in the driveway when the front door opened. Out stepped Alice Conrad, the housekeeper who had cared for her grandmother until her death. Alice and her husband Howard cared for the house and the grounds and had been working for her grandmother for more than 30 years. 

Alice and Howard Conrad were not employees.  They were family.  Her grandmother trusted them without question and Eleanor couldn’t take over the responsibility of the estate without them.  They were getting up in age but were dedicated to the family and the estate.  

Eleanor was grateful to see Alice coming toward her.  The two women hugged, Eleanor’s eyes filling with tears.  It was the first time she had seen Alice since the funeral.  She hadn’t had much time to talk to her at the funeral and she was looking forward to talking with her about her grandmother’s final days.  Just as the two women separated Howard came around the corner of the house.  He greeted Eleanor with a hug and a supportive look.

The three unloaded the car and went into the house.  Eleanor worked to get things put away and settled and returned to the kitchen to talk to Alice.  Alice shared the information about the last few days of Clara’s life, her instructions and her concerns about the future.  Eleanor listened intently and shared her grandmother’s concerns. 

Eleanor had work to do, to make sure that the estate would continue to thrive.  Her grandmother was not recently able to do many of the things that she did in the past to make sure that the estate could thrive, and it was up to Eleanor to turn things around.  She knew her grandmother left money to keep things going for a while, but it wouldn’t last forever.  They needed new income streams to keep things going.  Eleanor had some ideas, but she was going to need help, and she knew with Alice and Howard by her side, they would be able to keep going into the future.