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DEAR ANN LANDERS, Last year at this time I was a secure, happy
wife and mother. Today, I sit here
wondering if I can get together the money to pay my utility bills before they
shut off the electricity and gas. The
grocer has been wonderful about credit.
He knows I must feed myself and the five-year-old twins.
Fourteen
months ago, I received a phone call from the hospital across town. My husband was in critical condition. He had suffered a heart attack while driving
home. By the time I reached the
hospital, he was gone. I couldn't
believe it. The man had never had a sick
day. The ironic part of this story is
that less than one month before he died, I asked him to buy some life
insurance. He refused; saying the smart
thing to do is to keep his money in a savings account where he will produce
interest. When he died, the bank gave me the $2,200 he had in his savings
account. If he had bought the life insurance
policy, I would have received $50,000.
I loved my husband dearly, but I
can't help feeling resentful. After all,
the children were HIS responsibility. He
should have looked out for us. I hope
you will print this letter. Maybe somebody will learn from it. --HIS WIDOW
DEAR WIDOW: Your husband made a mistake, which
unfortunately you and the children are paying for. Put aside your resentment and accept the fact
that he was not inconsiderate. He was
ignorant.
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DEAR ANN LANDERS:
I have read with interest several letters in your column from widows
whose husbands had very little life insurance, or in some cases, none at
all. Some of those widows were bitter
because their husbands had not "planned ahead."
But in my case, I was the guilty party.
Every time our agent suggested that
Mel increase his insurance, I came out with that stupid remark "We're insurance
poor." The truth was that I, like so
many other wives, thought my husband would live forever. Widowhood was something that happened to
other women. Today, I'm that other women.
Last week, while going through my
husband's desk drawer I came across an insurance proposal for $40,000 of life
insurance. It was dated five months
before Mel died. It was a good plan and
we could have afforded it. Our agent was
trying to help and I knew it, but Mel was in perfect health and I figured I
could use that $21.57 a month toward a new color TV. Today, I'm working in a
steak restaurant trying to keep my family together. Believe me, it's tough. I hope you will print this letter for the
benefit of all those wives out there who don't appreciate life insurance as
much as widows do. --KICKING
MYSELF IN WINSTON-SALEM.
DEAR FRIEND: Twenty-Twenty hindsight is easy. The family that looks ahead and makes provisions
for the long shots is the one that sleeps better at night. I'm sorry your husband didn't override your
veto. Good luck to you dear.
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