The Hummingbird and the Compass – The Story Behind The Estate Planner’s Logo
In honor of national butterfly and hummingbird day, I am taking this opportunity to tell the story of our logo.
The Hummingbird
The hummingbird in our logo is a tribute to my beloved grandmother (pictured here with me), who was fascinated by these tiny, fast birds. I remember many joy-filled moments outside in her yard or at her kitchen window, silently watching the hummingbirds flit from flower to flower or drink from her hummingbird feeders. Hummingbirds are also the perfect symbol for an estate planning attorney who spends much of her work life talking about death. In some cultures hummingbirds are considered to be the spirits of departed loved ones who have come to visit for a brief moment, perhaps to watch over us.
My grandmother inspired the logo because she was a kind, generous, hardworking and bright woman who gave freely of her time and resources to help family, friends and her community. On many occasions, I remember her preparing food for a funeral at church, bringing fresh grown vegetables to neighbors or sharing her delicious elderberry jelly. I saw her treat everyone with kindness and respect and consider her to be a beautiful example of someone who lived her life with integrity, generosity and compassion and consistently followed the “Golden Rule” – treating others as she would want to be treated. Even though she was not college educated, she was hardworking and learned fast, spending many years working at the bank and later as a legal assistant at a lawyer’s office in the small town where she lived.
At The Estate Planner, we treat our clients with the compassion, integrity, respect and kindness that my grandmother would expect. We also have the technical expertise and comprehensive legal knowledge necessary to prepare the unique, custom estate plans our clients deserve. Should my grandmother’s spirit watch over us or visit, as a hummingbird or otherwise, I believe The Estate Planner would make her proud.
The Compass
Although not as obvious as the hummingbird, a compass is the other central motif of The Estate Planner’s logo. Before Siri and GPS became our primary source of direction, and today in areas without good wi-fi, a compass serves as a guide or way finder. A good estate plan is just that. It gives our loved ones a guide and directions for what to do if we become incapacitated and at our deaths. A health care power of attorney and advance directive gives guidance and direction for who should make health care decisions for us and what decisions should be made if we can’t decide for ourselves. A trust and a financial power of attorney guide financial decisions for us if we can’t make them for ourselves. A trust and a will also direct what happens to our property after our death.
At The Estate Planner, LLC we serve our clients with compassion, integrity and respect, expertly preparing estate plans tailored to each family’s unique needs. A properly prepared estate plan provides the guidance and direction loved ones need during emotional and difficult times, providing peace of mind for ourselves and our family.
Contact The Estate Planner LLC in our St. Louis office at 314-303-3218 for assistance with powers of attorney, trusts, wills or other estate planning needs in Missouri.
** The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.
Written by Stephanie Copp Martinez, JD