Life Insurance Awareness Month 2024: The Power of Your Why
Kate Morthland
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As humans, we all have expectations of how things will go. We move forward, often without considering alternatives, because we believe our plans are inevitable. Leading up to the birth of my son, I thought I knew exactly what would happen. I expected a smooth delivery, a few happy photos, a short recovery, and then we would head home to start our new lives as a family of three. But reality had other plans.
Just six hours after being discharged, I woke up from a nap in our living room too dizzy to walk. I couldn’t even make it upstairs to tell my husband that I was "feeling off." We rushed back to the hospital with our newborn in tow, where I was re-admitted and diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia. For five long days, I laid in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV drip. At one point, I was so delirious I asked my husband if I had even given birth yet, all while holding our son in my arms.
During those terrifying moments, my husband sat next to me, contemplating the unimaginable: a future where he might have to raise our newborn alone. This was not the postpartum story we had expected or prepared for, but it was the harsh reality we faced—a reminder of how fragile life truly is.
I’ve always been a preparer, and my background in insurance made me keenly aware of how vital life insurance is for a family’s financial security. But I also understand that not every family has this awareness. It’s easy to overlook life insurance when things are going well, but in an instant, everything can change. Unexpected events—whether they be health crises, accidents, or other challenges—are exactly that: unexpected.
While these uncertainties used to cause me great anxiety, I’ve learned to focus on what I can control. One of those things is securing my family’s financial future. Life insurance plays a critical role in that. It’s not just about having a policy in place; it’s about periodically revisiting it to ensure it meets your family’s evolving needs. Because life changes, and so should your protection.
It’s been nearly four years since my son’s birth, and the living room I once avoided out of fear and trauma that I would be taken to the hospital unexpectedly again is now filled with laughter, family memories, and lots of Legos. Learning to roll with the unexpected is something I’m still adjusting to as a parent, but if there’s one way to show your family you love them, it’s by preparing for the unknown.
Life insurance may not prevent life’s uncertainties, but it can give your family a solid foundation to stand on when the unexpected happens. That peace of mind is priceless.