Angie.updated

This is a true story about Angie, a person I will never forget. She was not a person one would think would need a life insurance policy. She was not married, not a home owner, and she had no children. She sat down with me because she had two financial goals. One was to have a comfortable retirement from her job in San Bernardino. The other was to take care of her mom and two of her siblings just in case.

The First Phone Call

I was getting a few groceries one evening at a local supermarket when my phone rang. After a long day, I looked at my phone to determine if I wanted to talk or not. When I saw that it was my client Angie, I was puzzled because she never called. I answered the phone curious to find out why she called. After a few seconds of small talk she said, “I’m calling make sure that my life insurance policy is still active.” I informed her that it was, and then asked her why she was asking.

She said, “You are the second person that I called because I have something important to tell you.” I said, “Tell me.” She said, “I just found out that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am deciding to believe that everything will be fine, but I just wanted to make sure that the life insurance policy is in good standing”.  Wanting to reinforce her belief, I said, “I’m believing with you that everything will be fine.” We ended the conversation and I said a prayer for Angie before I resumed to grocery shopping, but with a heavy heart.

Angie’s Second Phone Call

I made it a point to call Angie once a month to check on her. She told me month after month that she was fine, until one month she called me before I called her. “Hello, Dr. Cooper?”she asked. “Hey Angie!” I said, happily surprised but concerned why she called. She told me that the cancer spread aggressively and she was on her way to surgery to have a mastectomy. I was hurt to hear the terrible news, and honored at the same time that she thought enough to inform me as she was facing the most traumatic event of her life.

Two days later she called me, and I could tell from the background noise that she was still in the hospital recovering. We set up a breakfast a month from that day to celebrate her life and survival. When we sat down, she just kept telling me how blessed she was and how much more she appreciated life and the simple pleasures it gives. From that day, I decided to call her about once every three weeks to touch basis with her.

Angie’s Final Phone Call

About a week after our previous conversation she called me again to tell me that the cancer was back, but this time it metastasized into her bone marrow. Speechless, I paused for about ten seconds, and she said something that I will never forget. “Len, don’t worry about me. I believe that I am healed and besides, God is in control of my life regardless of what happens.” I immediately felt ashamed that I felt enough pessimism for her to sense that she had to lift up my spirits with her optimism. After this call, I wanted to be the one initiating our telephone conversations.

As I was driving, I saw her name appear on my telephone. I felt a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. However, wanting to learn from the previous call I received from her, I answered with as positive of a voice as I could muster. This time, her voice was faint. She asked me if she could re-arrange the percentage of the life insurance death benefit to her beneficiaries. I explained that her request had to be in writing, but I would have the insurance company email her the paperwork. Immediately after the call, I reached out to one of her colleagues at work who was also a client. I asked her to check on Angie, but not to let her know that I initiated the visit.

The Most Difficult Phone Call

The following day, I called Angie’s colleague to give me a report about how she was doing. She told me that she went to visit Angie’s classroom, but there was a substitute teacher there instead. So I called Angie, but there was no answer. Despite all the negative feelings that swirled in my heart, I convinced my head that everything was ok.

The next morning at 5:48 I received a phone call. I answered the call listening to a man whose voice I did not recognize trying to maintain composure while he asked to speak to me. Suddenly, he burst out crying saying, “She’s gone, she’s gone.  Angie’s gone!” Lost for words thinking about the fact that she was only 48 years young, all I could do was express my sincere, but seemingly empty condolences.

The Power Of Life Insurance Hit Me

A week after the phone call, I attended Angie’s funeral. I walked up to a young lady, who was obviously Angie’s sister to introduce myself. What happened next, forever changed my perspective about the life insurance profession. Her eye’s opened widely with delight, and as she gave me a hug she said, You’re Dr. Cooper? Angie talked about you all the time. Thank you so much for what you have done for my family!” I hurried to accept her gratitude before she could see the tears that flooded my eyes. At that moment, I realized that within a week, Angie’s mom will have paid off her home and her brother and sister would be debt free with money to spare.

When Angie purchased life insurance, we never thought that she would use the death benefit for her mom and two siblings. She wanted tax-free income during retirement. Had Angie not been motivated by what insurance could do during her lifetime, she would not have decided to purchase life insurance. Angie’s choice to get life insurance changed her family’s life. Not only that, it completely changed my professional life because I gained a level of conviction that my profession significantly transforms the lives of my clients and their loved ones. I now want every individual and family to have the same piece-of-mind.