I GOT UP AND DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Hey everyone,

Hope all is well with each of you.  It has been an eventful March for my family and I.   My youngest sister Tiana, who is 21 years younger than me, got married to her sweetheart, Kareem on March 22.

 

Can you believe a 21 year difference?  I got one better for you, my mother was pregnant with her and my oldest sister, Denise was pregnant with her son at the same time. In other words, the mama and the daughter were prego together.  CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT FOOLISHNESS, JUST MESS!!!  I’m still traumatized. (HAHAHA) Anyway back to the wedding, it was absolutely beautiful. As I sat and listened and watched the ceremony, the words they had to repeat, were words that seemed to come alive as they were spoken.  IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART.  My insides turned a million times.  Who knew this would be my story, sooner rather than later.  I surely didn’t know.   My husband was extremely healthy all his life; I mean the epitome of a healthy man. Then came sickness in 2006, he was 51 years old at that time… CANCER??  NO WAY!! NOT MY MAN, NOT THIS HEALTHY MAN THAT NEVER HAD A HEADACHE OR A COLD…WHAT??? . By the time it was all said and done he would have fought three times.  During every battle we stayed strong and he fought hard.  Twice he went into remission.   I THANK GOD FOR GRACE!

In 2001 a good friend lost her husband, I believe she was about 40 years old and he was around the same age or a few years older.  Her loss bothered me to the point of not being able to shake a feeling of unrest.  I remember telling Emm how I was feeling, how I couldn’t shake it and that we must make an appointment to get a better life insurance policy. I was always the type of wife, if Emm didn’t move fast enough, I’d do it myself or attempt to, but if it was something I absolutely needed him for. .. I positioned myself to being the worse nightmare in his daytime or that bug/fly that wouldn’t go away.  So I commenced to bugging him, annoying him, reminding him that we MUST go take out a better policy.  

 

Let me put it this way, I played that tune until he danced, oh yeah!!!   I didn’t have to do it for long because he couldn’t stand anything being repeated.  I became a human CD player that is put on repeat playing the same song. (hahaha) Oh yeah buddy, I knew how to go in.  Well folks it worked! I remember us going to an Allstate office taking our daughter with us and doing what we needed to do.  We sat her between us and my darling husband handled his business. He even made sure that our daughter Heather was insured.  I remember him looking at me and smiling after he said to the agent, “I want a bigger policy on me, if she (talking about me) goes first, Heather and I will be fine but if I go first I want her to have no worries.”  I’m paraphrasing but that was pretty much what he said. 

My brothers and sisters, I beseech you, I beg you, and I implore you to get your affairs in order. You and I both know the worse time to try to think clearly is when you’re NOT thinking clearly.  We had minimal insurance for a lot of years, but God kept tugging at my heart to get a better policy and thank God we did it while he was WELL!!!  IT IS HARD TO GET INSURANCE IF AT ALL WITH A PRE-EXISTING ILLNESS.  I am a witness that the Lord does speak to you and wants us to be prepared IN EVERYTHING.   

From this day forward every time I go to a wedding and hear a minister say “in sickness or in health” it will be different.  Believe me dear hearts I would marry Emm all over again even knowing the end from the beginning.  Someone stated during his last battle that they’d rather stay single than to have to endure the pain and sacrifice I dealt with. I told the person when you truly love someone it’s not a burden or a job.  I loved my husband through the entire journey. I learned so much from him. I learned patience, faith, trust, peace, endurance, gentleness, long suffering as I watched this amazing man’s journey. Marriage is not a game it is WORK. God at the head should be the foundation and HIS WORD your reference.  Also know this; we all will have some valley experiences in this life, whether married or single.  Either way let’s choose to GO THROUGH our valley NOT STAY in the valley. GOD IS OUR HELPER!

I usually have a lot more comic relief when I write these blogs so forgive me for not making you laugh too much today.  You see when I begin to press the keys on the computer, I free my mind and allow God to direct me in what is to be said at the time.  I have had the pleasure of sharing my story and mentioning the importance of LIFE INSURANCE at different venues that I am requested to sing.  It breaks my heart to know how many people admit to having no insurance. I pray these blogs will encourage you to arise and do.  I pray it does for you what the tragedy of my friend losing her spouse did for me.  I GOT UP AND DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Many of us say we don’t have the money to get insurance. I’m here to tell you, I’m not buying into that EXCUSE.  We live in a time when the phrase is “can I be real?” or “I’m just keeping it real!” WELL CAN I BE REAL?  We have money to do whatever we want to do; I’m not talking about needs BUT wants.  You mean to tell me we can’t sacrifice one family dinner out per month nor do we really need another pair of shoes or another dress, or even another iPad?! I’m sure you get my point.  Bottom line is, like my grandmother use to say, ‘PEOPLE DO WANT THEY WANT TO DO”. LIFE INSURANCE IS NOT A WANT, WE NEED LIFE INSURANCE!!!!  AND I’M KEEPING IT REAL!!! I hope you’re feeling the love even though I AM BELLOWING AT YOU!!!! (SMILE)

I have a suggestion. When I want to lock myself into an appointment, or a visit with friends, or a dinner engagement, I pull out my calendar and make a verbal agreed upon date. There it’s done and no more of the “you know I’m going to...” or “we should get together…” Now your first step is done.  Hopefully you’ll follow through and keep the appointment.  I’m telling you, you will feel better, if not now later for sure!

I have been charged by the Lord to speak and write my journey on this subject, I do this because I love God’s people and I don’t want anyone to be caught unprepared. We will have no one to blame but ourselves. Be well and much love………

Oh yes one more thing….there is one more sister I didn’t mention. She is the sister in between me and our youngest sister Tiana.  Annette is 10.5 years older than Tiana and 10.5 younger than me!!! NO BOYS, FOUR GIRLS. THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN PROBABLY SOUNDED THE ALARM and sang HANDEL’S MESSIAH when my parents finally said, “IT IS FINISHED” YA THINK…. GEEZZZ!!!

J BE BLESSED!