Each February, Life Happens launches its “Insure Your Love” Campaign. What could be more appropriate than reminding everyone to “Insure Your Love” during the month in which we celebrate Valentine’s Day.
With Valentine’s Day comes the gushy sentiments, flowers and candy, among other trinkets to express our love for one another. While those things are lovely, real love is messy…and hard. Real love can mean delivering on the promise of “in sickness and in health” and “for richer or for poorer,” sometimes in too many ways to count.
Catchy slogan aside, there is a much deeper meaning to this campaign. “Insure Your Love” means ensuring your loved ones are taken care of financially. It ensures that your family can grieve without worrying about how they are going to pay the bills. Making sure your financial house is in order can be the ultimate love letter to your loved ones.
I have had the blessing of witnessing some beautiful love stories in my lifetime. One such story is Brian and Kathryn Mutchler. Brian and Kathryn enjoyed similar passions and truly enjoyed each other’s company.
Then cancer struck. A 26-month battle resulted in many treatments, medical emergencies, doctor visits and too much suffering. Yet, they still loved…deeply, though much differently. Love came in the form of doctor visits, changing colostomy bags, hospice and discussing final arrangements.
But it also came in the form of saying The Lord’s Prayer together, holding hands until the very end, three sweet kisses on the lips every chance they had and Brian worrying about Kathryn getting enough rest as he fought his battle with cancer.
Brian passed away on Thanksgiving morning holding Kathryn’s hand, as well as the hand of his brother, Mark.
As you can imagine 26 months of cancer treatments, medications, surgeries, hospice and home health care came not only with a considerable personal toll, but a financial one as well. Brian and Kathryn lived frugally and had been mindful savers, so it was a tremendous help given what they had been through and certainly left Kathryn with a better outcome financially.
What was most striking in this love story is not gushy sentiments or flowers, but something far more impactful. When Kathryn returned Brian’s keys and work phone to his employer (he had planned to return to work until the very end) she discovered that Brian had taken out extra life insurance on himself. Never mentioning it, he just quietly did this tremendous act of love.
How many times do we forego spending a small amount of money because it isn’t fun or exciting? (I include myself here.) Some of the most important purchases we make aren’t glamorous, but they certainly matter. Financial planning, buying life insurance, writing a will/trust, etc., is certainly not comfortable, but it’s one of the only things in life that it is inevitable we will use.
Brian may not be here for Kathryn, but his legacy lives on in many ways and one of those ways is through the power of financial planning and buying life insurance.
Being in the insurance industry for more than 30 years, I have seen stories like this many times and I have also seen the devastation that procrastinating can cause. While it may seem daunting, it’s not as scary as it seems. Hermann Sons Life agents are here to help you, your friends and your family take those steps. We are here to help you get the most out of life now.