I was the first of the four children to leave our father’s deathbed. The doctor told us he could linger as long as two weeks. My middle sister was a college professor on summer break, so she volunteered to stay with Mom and Pop until the end. The rest of us returned to our homes in various states to begin our grieving process and contemplate a life without father (aka Pop).
The last time I saw Pop was when he walked me to my car parked in the driveway of his Phoenix home. As we said our final good-byes, there was no holding back the tears.
“I love you, Pop.”
“And I love you, son.”
Choking on emotions, I said, “I don’t know what else to say, Pop.”
“How ‘bout… ‘see ya’ later’?”
“Yeah, for sure. See ya’ later, Pop.”
“See ya’ later, son.”
I’ll never forget the day the music died in my life. My Dad was a very accomplished pianist, though he couldn’t read a single note of music. He gave his final performance the night before I saw him for the last time. Pop was sixty years young when he died. I was thirty-four. Neither of us was old enough.
Just a few months before my father died, I met with my mother and their MetLife agent to review Pop’s policies. Turned out he didn’t have any. The policy I sold him years ago had lapsed. There was a conversion option on the eighty-five-thousand-dollar group term policy he had through his last employer, but it had not been exercised.
The conversion option was good for a year from Pop’s retirement date…fifty weeks ago. That’s right. My mother was two weeks away from losing an eighty-five thousand-dollar death benefit. Instead, miracle of miracles, she paid a few hundred dollars in premium before collecting the death benefit in full upon Pop’s passing. Thank you, MetLife!
THAT is the miracle of life insurance! I believed it before I lived it, but having lived it, I will never die without it. Nor will I ever stop encouraging all others to pledge the same.
The life insurance industry is one of the most rock-solid on the planet. Thanks to all who work so diligently to keep it that way. From actuaries to investment specialists to the agents in the field and those who supervise and support them… God’s best to each and every one of you for giving the world the miracle of life insurance.
