The Sewing Mom

Sometimes, we think we are invincible. Sometimes, we think we will live forever. Sometimes, we are wrong.

I think this idea really hit home to me a year and a half ago when I received a call that my father had passed away. My dad had health issues and was over weight, but I certainly didn’t think he would die, not in his 70’s. He had always been strong and worked hard all his life. I would’ve never thought his heart would just give out on him; apparently, neither did he. He had cancelled his term life insurance and because he was retired, he no longer had an employee benefits package that would supply any type of payout on his death.

Thankfully, my dad was retired Air Force and had his military benefits that allowed him to be buried in a National Cemetery, covering most of the costs of the burial. That fact alone took a lot of pressure off of my sisters and myself. What little he did own, we sold to pay the remainder of the funeral bills. It made a sad event even more difficult.

My mother-in-law is here visiting for the holidays and we do worry about her and her health. Less than a year ago she was hit my a motorcyclist while she was crossing the road in a cross walk. She suffered head injuries then and is still recovering. She lives on her own and thankfully has had medical and social workers attending to her on a regular basis. She lives in California and we live in Texas, so it is difficult for us to make sure she has what she needs. Because she lives on a fixed income, one thing my husband has been talking over with her is how to save money on insurance and what type of coverage she should have.  I don’t want it to seem morbid, but after dealing with my dad’s death and funeral, it is comforting to know that my mother-in-law will at least have enough coverage to cover those costs when something does happen, hopefully, that won’t be for a long time.

My husband and I have carried life insurance policies outside of our employers for several years.  We want to make sure that should something happen to us, our daughter will be taken care of financially.  It gives us some peace of mind, knowing we have planned for the future.

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