WARNING: Touchy subject ahead.
For the last few months my hubby has been in a sort of negotiation situation with a new life insurance company. At 48, (we know) the reality is that anything can happen at anytime and being prepared is the only way for true peace of mind.
Except, it’s pretty unnerving to do such a task and not feel weirdly emotional about it. Who wants to plan for death? No one, that’s who. People are irreplaceable and there is no amount of money that can bring them back or take away the pain of their loss.
For me (and many others like me), I wouldn’t be able to pay my current bills (since I have no real job) if my husband suddenly passed away. Not a good position to be in, yet it is my real life situation. For the last 10 or so years, I’ve felt secure knowing he had a policy in place to help us (our kids and me) get back on our feet for a period of time if something happened. But, that policy ran its course and we were left with nothing. Nada. Hence, the new policy shopping.
Picking a dollar amount that will sustain the person left behind can be grueling and awkward. In my thinking, since I’m a bit out of the dating and marrying age….I’m looking at living alone and on my own for a long time. My husband’s salary is a bit out of reach for me and the debt, mortgage and more is enough to throw me into a deep depression. Insurance offers a comfort that cannot be taken away even when our loved one has.
After the death of my mother, I see how important being prepared for the ones left behind really is. Nothing was in place and it left me scrambling. The stress of losing her was overshadowed by all the many real life details left for me to figure out after she was gone. Her house, her belongings, her bills….and more overwhelmed me and my family. Life insurance would have prevented a lot of the stress and a plan could have helped me navigate through all the little details. I didn’t have room for choices and I didn’t have time to think through a big plan after the fact. I just had to do what I could and leave it at that. It was painful.
So, in light of what you know…. are you prepared? Is your family covered by an insurance policy? Do you live thinking, “It won’t happen to me?”. I hope not. This past weekend, my Florida family buried a young husband and father who died suddenly without warning from a heart-attack at 34. No one is promised another day. Not being prepared is terrible planning on our part.
Do yourself and your loved ones the honor of having your life and death in order. Nothing can bring you or me back…..but taking care of them financially is a loving legacy to leave behind.