True Love Ways

What do you get when you combine one house, two parents, two adorable daughters (both teenagers,) one dog, one bunny, and one guinea pig? You get love. Lots and lots of love. 

This describes my home, and I feel like I am the luckiest woman on the planet to get to be a part of it. From the difficult challenges to the joyful moments, I’m a real-life mom with my own list of whacky experiences. Getting married and becoming parents is a wondrous adventure, but it can also feel like a lonely, anxious journey, with lots of ups and downs.  

Honestly, I give every new mom the same advice: Don’t listen to anyone’s advice. There are so many different opinions and there is no one way to do something. Find someone you trust to bounce ideas and questions off of, but ultimately do what feels right in your heart. 

Parenting can also be hilarious. I laugh with my girls almost as much as I worry about their well-being. They are so funny! Case in point, over the weekend, one of them asked me how she could find a rich man to marry. 

While I don’t disagree on whether financial stability is vital in a relationship, there is nothing like loving and feeling loved. When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth. Love makes you smile when you are tired. Love is way more than a feeling. Love is action. Love is life insurance.

People want to protect their loved ones, and one of the best ways to do that financially is life insurance. I remember when I first updated my life insurance after having my kids. As soon as that policy issued, it was like a massive relief fell over every cell in my body—like I was 100 lbs. lighter, and a weight had lifted off my shoulders.

I geek out on the topic of life insurance. I have been protecting lives for over 20 years. One memory I will never forget involves one of the nicest people I have ever met. A few (many) years ago, I sold a gentleman a $1,000,000 10-Year Term policy to protect his ever-growing family. Over the years, we developed a friendship. Anytime he would call about billing or changing vehicles, he would always say hello to me. I would always wish him a Happy Birthday. He was such a cool guy.

In the ninth year of his policy, I got a phone call I would never forget. He called to tell me that he had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was dying. Whoa. The doctor had given him 12 months to live. I called him back about a month later and he sounded worse than he had before. The experimental treatments were having a negative effect on him. 

I asked him if he needed money. I told him about a terminal illness rider that would allow him to get $250,000 as long as he provided me with a letter from his doctor indicating he was terminal. He was not aware of this feature of the policy. He provided what we needed and nine days later he had a check for $250,000. A few months later, I received a call from his son that he had passed away. 

It was three weeks later that his widow called. She described how much this policy meant to her and her family and how she isn’t sure what their life would be like now if he hadn’t taken out the policy.  As hard as this story hurts me to relive, it validates the importance of what I do. 

Do this for me: Take a moment to appreciate all the little things we do and those everyday moments with the people we love that shape our lives and give it meaning. Our days are so often filled with simple acts of love, one followed by another, that over time can create a better tomorrow. Life insurance is like that. It’s a simple act you can take today to ensure your loved ones are protected financially tomorrow. 

This can seem like an overwhelming endeavor if you do not take the time to determine your needs. This part is crucial. Shopping around can be another gift of love to ensure you are getting top notch benefits for a fair price. Take a moment giving your family a true gift of love by ensuring they will be kept financially safe in case something happens to you unexpectedly.