Of course I sent the obligatory text/facebook message/sympathy card and called Meko to see what I could do to help but she sounded so lost and tired and it slowly started to sink in that I would never understand exactly how she feels unless I had the same experiences. She isn't going to bounce back in a week, a month, a year or ever.
Her son is dead.
Forever.
Never coming back.
And my heart broke for her. There is nothing you can say or do to ease someone's heartache. I can only hope that she has a light that helps guide her through her fog. I've spent the larger part of today fighting off tears that want to come every time I think of Joey's sweet smile and gentle disposition or of Meko's shattered heart.
I've watched Meko try to figure out how she was going to manage to give her son a funeral, struggle to come up with the funds to purchase a headstone and purchase his last outfit. The worst part is she hasn't even started to deal with the financial aftermath of taking time off of work past her THREE days of bereavement pay.
Being an insurance agent, I hear tough stories everyday. The client whose wife passed away and left him with two young daughters and no life insurance. The man who had it through work and couldn't afford to take it with him when he retired who is now unable to buy insurance due to his health. The young family with a 4 and 5 year old who would rather buy a big house, a new car, new fancy computer, and eat out frequently than make the SELFLESS decision to make the hard choice and buy insurance to protect their loved ones and the life style lived.
I've never had to watch someone I love struggle through a death. You'll probably read this and think "How sad!" and put that wall up around your heart. I want you to keep that wall down for the next couple minutes. I want you to imagine how it would feel to be you. I want to open your eyes. I want to protect you and your loved ones from the tiny fraction of Meko's heartache that I'm feeling and from the full weight of loss that is on her shoulders right now. I want you to visit Life Foundation's website and read these stories.
After reading them, I want you to think how you would FEEL if your spouse died last Friday. What if the last paycheck you received truly was THE last? How would your family pay the rent/mortgage every month? Are they going to have to downgrade or sell their home? What dreams are they going to have to give up? College education? Financial security? Travelling? How long is your spouse/mother/father/loved one going to have before they HAVE to pull it together to go back to work? 3 days? 2 weeks? What if they just can't scrape themselves up off the floor?
Now I want you to think how you would feel if this was you. What if your loved one died last Friday and you've received the final paycheck. How long do you want to have to get it together? How long do you want to stay in your home? What dreams are you going to have to give up?
I blame myself for part of Meko's struggles. I never asked. I didn't push. I didn't want to offend or ruin a friendship. I assumed she couldn't afford it. I wish I had. I'll never get another chance.
I can't write a policy on 95% of you (because of location) but I can help you determine your NEED to cover your family's WANTS. How do you think Meko would feel if I could write her a $10,000, $50,000, $100,000 check instead of sending a measly card? Do you think she would have paid the $20 or more per month to get that check today?
Email me: Jenna@tanyaPatzner.com, call me at 402.333.1866, text me at 402.490.4862, Facebook me
and I'll help you determine what you need. There's no cost for knowledge. If you're not comfortable with that, check with a local agent.
I need you to truly feel this. You need life insurance whether you ignore it or not. You have some through work or you purchased some years ago, that's great! That's a start! How do you know if you have enough? How do you know if you never get it checked.
I'm not sorry for pushing you now and your family wouldn't be sorry for it either.
Once our eyes are opened we can not pretend we don't know what to do. I know what I have to do.
You fail to point out that most insurance policies will only pay back the premiums paid if the death occurs within two years. So people expecting 10, 15, 20K etc. will only get a check for $1000.
ReplyDeleteActually, the two years you're talking about is the "contestability period" which typically doesn't cover suicide or death from an illness that was omitted on the application. I've worked for two large insurance companies and have friends who work for multiple other companies and most companies are the same. If you buy insurance today and walk out of the office and get hit by a Mac truck, we're going to write a check for the beneficiary. If you have additional questions about this, email me directly or check the following links.
Deletehttp://www.ehow.com/list_6157107_common-nullifications-life-insurance-payouts.html
http://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb018.html
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