Although a special day is upon us, I feel like there doesn’t need to be one, because to me, every day is Father’s Day.
We all would like to say we look up to our dads. In my case I literally looked up to mine. He was 6’4”, 210 pounds and had a silver mane of hair that I hoped to inherit, but alas genetics dictated that was not to be.
In my last blog I talked about how being a father was such an honor that I wished I could change my name to Dad. Unfortunately, as proud as I am of being a dad, I don’t get to say, “Hi Dad” or “Hey, Pop,” anymore. My kids also have one less guy to call Grandpa. And as we come upon Father’s Day, none of us get to see or call him and say, “Happy Father’s Day.” That’s because I lost my Dad to throat cancer when he was only 57.
Although my Dad is no longer with us, he was and still is one of the primary reasons I am so passionate about what our industry can do. Now, you might be thinking that I didn’t have the opportunity to protect him with life insurance; as a matter of fact it is quite the contrary. I tell you my story to implore anyone reading this to make sure they take the time and the energy to sit down and talk to those closest to them about the power of life insurance.
My Dad was by far the toughest sale I ever made. I love him to death and always will, but he did not want me coming into the life insurance industry, and like all 22 year olds, I thought he was wrong and that I could do a lot of good for a lot of people. Picture now having to set an appointment with him, along with my sales manager and having to sit at our dining room table and attempt to sell him something. “Are you out of your mind, you need a salary and benefits, I don’t need life insurance”…sound familiar?
He fought me every inch of the way, but he bought. He also reminded me every time he paid his premium what he was paying and how he will never use it. But, the toughest sale I ever made was one he was most appreciative of when his health turned for the worse. As it turned out, the only life insurance policy that my Dad owned was the one he bought from me. It was the only reason that my stepmom was able to stay in the house that we lived in. It was the difference. And I am proud of that and would go through that uncomfortable process every day of the week in order for others to have their families protected.
We don’t know what the future holds. What life insurance agents do, and what I would still like to say that I still do, is to enable people to have peace of mind that they can experience life knowing that if something were to happen unexpectedly, or when it does happen, that we as an industry make a difference. All the hard working life insurance agents out there make a difference.
So once again, if you got this far, thanks for reading. If you haven’t had the talk with those closest to you, please do. It could be the best gift you ever give them. Now that beats a pair of socks any day.
Lastly, if you will forgive me, I want to take this opportunity to say to all the fathers out there, “Happy Father’s Day, Dad.”
Thanks. That felt good.
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