# The Family Compass Module

The FIRM Guide (thefirmguide.com) — companion to The Recoverable Family.
Fill this in privately (any text editor or by hand), then store it in your Vault.


## Secure Guide Starter Template — Family Compass

> Store this inside your Vault. This entry holds the stewardship record and the private layer — where the Compass lives, who keeps it, and what is reserved for later reading. Starting is ten minutes: the four stewardship fields below. The private log can stay empty for years and still be doing its job.

This Module runs the other way around from most: nearly everything lives in The Family Guide, shared and used while you are alive. The Secure Guide side is thin by design — a stewardship record, plus one private pocket for letters and reflections meant to be read later. You may not need that pocket yet. Many families begin with the shared layer alone and add private material when they are ready; a blank log below means nothing is reserved yet, and that is fine.

- Storage Location: 

- Primary Author / Keeper: 

- Access List: 

- Review Schedule: 

### Private Letters and Heirs-First Material
| Document | Recipient | Occasion | Location in Vault | Date Written | Last Reviewed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |

> Letters and reflections marked for later reading, logged by reference — the letters themselves live in the Vault.

Private Notes — Values and Intent: reflections too sensitive for general family circulation.

- Notes location: 

- Access instructions: 

Family History: the Compass is not the place to store the family tree — it is the place to note where that research lives, so the story can be found and continued instead of restarted.

- Where the research lives: 

- Account credentials: 

- Steward: 

> Reference in The Family Guide: "Private letters and sensitive reflections are stored in The Secure Guide within The Vault."

- Tags: 


## Family Guide Starter Template — Family Compass

> This template contains no sensitive information — it is the shared layer of the Compass, meant to be read and used while you are alive, not after. One honest note is enough to begin.

> In the matching Secure Guide section: stewardship record plus the private letters layer, kept in the Vault.
>
> The private letters live in the Vault, which opens with The Vault Key — never written here, by design. The people listed on this page know how it is kept.

- How used: This is the family's shared compass — the story, values, and traditions we steer by. It is meant to be read and added to while we are all here: revisited on the family's review rhythm, updated when life changes, and read aloud when someone new joins the family. Private letters connected to it are kept separately and come later.

### Our Story — A Brief Family Narrative



### What We Value
| Value | How It Shows Up in Our Lives |
| --- | --- |
|   |   |
|   |   |
|   |   |

> Descriptions, not rules — the values your family actually returns to, and where they show up in everyday decisions.

### Traditions and Practices We Want to Preserve
| Tradition or Practice | Why It Matters | Notes for Future Generations |
| --- | --- | --- |
|   |   |   |
|   |   |   |
|   |   |   |

> A tradition survives best when its meaning is understood, not just its mechanics — and it is allowed to change.

How We Stay Connected — the rhythms that feel obvious today are the easiest thing to lose in a transition. A few sentences here give a new spouse, a child leaving home, or anyone stepping in a starting point instead of a guessing game.

- Platforms we actually use: 

- Our rhythm of contact: 

- How we handle distance: 

### A Note to Our Family



> Private letters and sensitive reflections are stored in The Secure Guide.

### Additional Guidance