Losing my dad to cancer was one of the toughest things I have had to do. The emotional and physical toll the death of a loved one has on the individual and family is exhausting. If that is not enough, you then have the financial responsibility of planning a funeral fitting of your loved one.
We had some money. Dad had a life insurance policy, but because it was acquired less than two years before his passing, we only received $500; not much to work with. Mom told me that they had tried to plan ahead by purchasing the policies so the family wouldn’t have to worry about final expenses, but as life goes you can’t plan for cancer.
The funeral was a loving tribute to my dad as a husband, father, and military veteran. The whole experience opened my eyes to a part of losing someone that I hadn’t thought about before…finances. I am glad my mom has a life insurance policy. After Dad passed away, we realized we needed to do something different so we purchased additional insurance for Mom to cover not only the burial but also any outstanding debt she may have when she passes.
Going through this process showed me that it is an easy process and the benefits are very high. The value of life insurance is not something we often think about but I’m so glad my parents started planning ahead. Having learned from this experience I will never again underestimate the importance of life insurance.
