Then my father passed away. Not a warning. A huge Sunday morning heart attack.
My life transformed with a single phone call. My viewpoint on everything I believed to be true about preparation, safety, and what it means to truly care for the people you love also changed.
The Emotional Shock Was Followed by a Financial One
I will not mince words: losing someone unexpectedly is terrible. The speed at which grief turned into logistics, however, shocked me even more. Plans for the funeral. legal documents. bills that have not been paid. Accounts to close. My mother was overburdened. Then we discovered that my dad had no life insurance.
He was sixty-three. Enough health. still in operation. However, his previous policy had expired at some point, and he never renewed it. It had always been our belief that he had a plan. He was a father like that. Responsible. Organized.
But there was nothing when we needed it most.
The Potential Benefits of Life Insurance That We Did not Expect We were not anticipating a windfall. However, even a simple policy might have
paid for the burial and funeral expenses, which came to about $14,000.
settled the outstanding balance on the credit card
allowing my mother time to grieve without having to return to work right away
enabled us to pay estate attorneys’ fees without using up our funds.
We scrambled instead. I charged my credit card with costs. His truck was sold by my mom. My younger sister put off returning to school.
It dawned on me then that life insurance is not about dying. It has to do with love.
What Made Me Purchase a Policy Right After
I applied for term life insurance the day after we completed the papers for my dad’s estate. I felt as though I was doing something morbid, yet profoundly mature.
I spend more on takeout than that. But what happens if I do? There will not be any chaos for my family. They will have time. Options. Dignity.
Things I Hope More People Know
Life insurance is not limited to breadwinners or parents.
You most likely need coverage if your death would have an emotional or financial impact on anyone.
When you are young and healthy, it is easier and less expensive.
Lower rates are locked in when you buy it early. Delaying until “later” may result in increased rates or, worse, rejection.
It has nothing to do with you.
The money will not be used by you. However, what about those you leave behind? They will recall your preparations, or lack thereof.
My Dad Taught Me a Lot. This Was His Final Lesson.
My dad loved us fiercely. He showed up. He worked hard. He cracked terrible dad jokes and grilled the world’s best burgers. But he didn’t plan for the end. Not because he didn’t care—but because he didn’t think it was time yet.
We all think we have more time.
But what life insurance really does is buy your family time—to grieve, to adjust, to begin healing without financial chaos.
If you’re reading this and you’ve been putting it off, let this be your moment. Don’t wait for a tragedy to teach you what a small monthly premium could have prevented.
