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So, today, I want to share a little bit about how I made my decision to get life insurance and why I made sure to have a plan in place in case the worst happened, and it’s something that is really important to me, so I hope you’ll keep reading to see why it is on my heart so much right now. I’ve also shared some great resources from Protective Insurance that help you choose what life insurance may be the right fit for you.

We were at a stoplight, going to the store. It was a normal day, a little cloudy, but not raining or anything. And all of a sudden, I heard a screech of tires. I glanced in my rear-view mirror, but there was nothing I could do. I tensed up as a car… hit a car… hit a car… hit me. A random, freak, four car chain reaction that could have been so much worse than it was. I was in a little pain, and while Zach’s 5 point harness car seat protected him, we both saw the doctor anyway. And then, as I met with her, she started asking me questions… “have you thought about a living will? An end of life directive?” As I stared, a little bit in shock (I was only 26, why did I need these things?!) she said “It might be something to think about. Medical plans, a will, maybe some life insurance.”

None of these were things I hadn’t considered before. In fact, I’m not completely without a plan. But honestly, I’m 26, so the thought always flashes through my mind “Do I really need these things? I’m young. What could happen?”

A car accident could happen, one that’s worse than a simple rear-ending. After all, I had a cousin die after being rear-ended. Heck, anything could happen. I could get hit by lightning. I could get cancer. I could accidentally walk in front of a car. While none of this stuff is likely and I’m not one to live life in fear of what could happen, being rear-ended made me realize that I really did need a better plan.

I needed an end-of-life directive, a living will so if something were to happen that left me tied to tubes and cords, my family would know what to do.

I needed a will so everyone would know what to do if the worst happened when it came to caring for my son, and when it came to my finances.

I needed life insurance because I have a child who needs care, and throwing my family into the sudden act of trying to care for him and pay for my end-of-life expenses just isn’t the right plan. If something happened to me today, would my parents be able to retire? Would Zach be able to go to college if he chose to someday? Would my brother have to sacrifice hobbies so my parents could help fund Zach’s tuition or needs? I’d hope the answer would be no, that they’d be financially okay, but I had to think… what would happen if I wasn’t around?

All of these thoughts came at the right time– September, after all, is National Life Insurance Month and a good time to really consider what plans you have in place.

As moms, we sometimes feel invincible. Think about it: we rarely take time to rest and recover when we’re sick, but just keep chugging along, sneezes, fever, and all. We still manage to get everyone to soccer practice, feed the family, get work done, keep the house clean, balance the checkbook… but the reality is, we’re not invincible. Even at age 26, well, something could happen, and the car crash, as minor as it was, was a really important reminder. It could have been worse than minor car repairs and a little physical therapy. If something had happened to me or Zach on the way to the grocery store, and I were unprepared… well, it could cause a lot of problems.

See, we have health insurance for when we’re sick, car insurance for hail or wrecks, home insurance to take care of where we live. So why had I been looking at life insurance as though it was optional, as though me passing away someday wasn’t actually inevitable? Why wasn’t I as prepared as I should be?

It was with this, and with Zach in mind, that I started doing some reading about why life insurance was so important. Luckily, Protective Insurance has a lot of really good articles that helped make my research a little easier and set my mind at ease. I read an article on whether or not I actually needed life insurance. When I ran into confusion on which policy and insurance company was right for me, I checked out this article about the three steps to choosing the right insurance for my needs. The website really helped clarify what I needed and helped me find the right fit in terms of life insurance.

I might only be 26 (which, according to my brother, means I’m pretty much almost all the way through my life anyway), but I have a 4 year old son, and it is a no-brainer to make sure that there’s financial protection in case anything happens to me.

I mean, look at that cute face. Wouldn’t you want to make sure that his needs were met, too, just to be safe? Whether it’s a car accident, or anything else that comes my way, I just want to make sure that I’m as prepared as I can be for the worst, and that’s why it was important for me to consider life insurance during National Life Insurance Month this September.

Have you ever experienced something that made you think a little bit more about life insurance? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.