My eye-opening experience as to the importance of life insurance came to me in my youth. My father was a life insurance agent in a small rural community with a very large need. I recall how many times a client would phone our house to thank him for selling the policy that paid the final expenses of a loved one. Someone who died in a car or farming accident, or due to a devastating illness. Because they’d trusted my dad, they could bury a beloved family member and keep the home running for the children or elderly parents. Whatever their situation, Dad’s neighbors, at the worst time in their lives, didn’t have the added worry of wondering how they would pay the bills. This resonated with me so much that, in the early 90s, I accepted a career path in the insurance industry as well. Years passed, life happened, and I found myself led to a career in healthcare. Serving hands-on was very rewarding, but since my retirement I’ve discovered a renewed need to serve my neighbors the way my dad did for all those years. So here I am, back in the insurance industry where the need is just as strong, or stronger, with both parents working, the rise in single-parent households as well as the rising costs of funeral expenses and medical care. I’ve realized that I can help people with these things. Having just buried my parents, I appreciate what families endure at such times. And through my dad’s wisdom, I can attest to the value of seeing to it that one’s medical and other bills, as well as final expenses, aren’t left to those who love them. My background has left me with a passionate desire to help people with these needs. I would be proud if that next person were you.