Something Good Came out from Something Bad

Dear Mona,

Mine is a success story, speaking to the positive outcomes that can arise from adversity.

I had the privilege of becoming a licensed financial professional myself.

The first thing I did was to compile a list of all those for whom I would be financially responsible if something were to happen to them.

If I were to lose my Mom today, I would likely bear the bulk of the expenses.

For my dad, I'd likely shoulder about half of them. I also had some aunts and uncles who I knew were very dependent on me, as well as my siblings to some extent. This responsibility extended to my nephews and nieces as well.

Yes, you guessed it, all of them made my list.

Perhaps it sounds selfish, because I did not want to bear the financial burden for them, but I needed to make my point clear. If someone declined my assistance, it meant they were essentially telling me they expected someone else to clean up the mess after them.

One by one, I managed to get most of them insured. It didn’t necessarily have to be a significant policy, but something that would provide immediate assistance to their family if necessary.

Oh boy, was my dad a tough nut to crack?

He provided me with all the reasons why he did not trust the system.

He cited examples of how black people have been stripped of their hard-earned savings and why he believed the banking system was a failure.

He also mentioned that we were all older and did not need him to leave us an inheritance.

He had worked for 41 years and was soon going to retire. Time was not on his side, and I needed to catch up. It was such a difficult battle, and eventually, I gave up.

I thought, maybe it’s not so bad after all; he is retiring, what is the worst that could happen? Maybe he has some money left over from his retirement savings.

Then came the fateful day when he visited his best friend who was dying of cancer. His daughter had moved back home, which was great, but she had lost her house to a fire and her job a few months prior, that was the main reason why she was back living with him. She had lagged on paying insurance, so there wasn’t much she could get, if anything at all.

My dad's friend mentioned that his biggest regret was not having a life insurance policy, which could have alleviated his daughter's financial burdens. This struck a chord with my dad.

Upon returning home that day, my dad made the decision to protect his family. He called me up and asked about the thing I had been talking about. He said he was ready. I didn’t want to jinx it, so I didn’t ask many questions. I treated him like any other client, taking my time to understand his needs, what he could afford, and his long-term goals.

The next month, my dad told me he’d been having the best sleep and peace of mind. He wondered why he had resisted for so many years.

Unfortunately, shortly after, my dad fell off the roof while attempting to do some work around the house. He broke his spine badly and could not even enjoy the last years leading to his retirement. The company coverage he had thought would help him now seemed insufficient. Reality kicked in.

Never did I imagine I would become a real-life superhero. I remember facilitating the check from his coverage. The first payment came in, a substantial $335,000 in one go.

My dad had never received such a large sum upfront. He was almost overcome with emotion. With this money, he was able to pay off the last of his mortgage, afford the best surgery, gave his house a facelift, and, most importantly, made his grandchildren really happy. It was a moment of triumph amidst tragedy.

A good thing indeed came out of something bad. I did not have to endure financial stress, my mom did not have to worry, and, most importantly, my dad was able to relax.

Who said you needed to die to make use of your life Insurance.

There is immense power in what we do—empowering the hopeless and providing peace of mind. When people say I sell life insurance, I correct them; I sell hope and, peace of mind.

Thank you for providing this platform, Mona.

Your newsletters have become the highlight of my Wednesdays.

Best regards,

A happy daughter who helped her dad sleep well.