A
GoFundMe Burial
Early
Tuesday morning, my niece called and said, “Did you see the Facebook post of a
GoFundMe campaign for your cousin? She passed away.”
“What?
What are you talking about?” I ask.
“There
were several posts requesting burial funds for your cousin,” she explained.
I
didn’t know she was dead! That can’t be so, I thought. I spoke with her several
months ago. Is my mind playing tricks on me?
A
search through Facebook revealed she passed on December 31, 2021. And her
husband never called. When was the funeral? She was my first cousin. Our dads
were brothers.
That
was all the information the caller had. So, I called the first of three numbers
I had for them in my phone. Disconnected was the response to the first cell
number I called. “Maybe that was her number,” I say to myself. Ok. Now I dial
the home phone and leave a brief message. “This is Dee, and I understand that my
cousin has passed away. I’m so sorry. Please call me.”
Finally,
I call the last cell number. "Hi, Dee,” her husband says. I stumble through,
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” He says, “I thought I’d called you. We’re having
a virtual memorial service this Thursday.”
I’m
flooded with mixed emotions. Sadness because she’s gone and perplexed that there
had to be a GoFundMe campaign for burial. She was in her sixties. Had a job in
tech. Was struggling with weight, diabetes, circulation, and other health
issues. She passed in December and this is June. What is wrong with this
picture?
You
know me, I go straight to “how prepared are we for the unexpected?” And the
unexpected, unfortunately, will always visit when we least expect it.
I
guess that’s why it’s called “unexpected.” But we know sooner or later, our turn
will come. Knowing that, we must anticipate bad news.
Will
we be able to grieve for our loved when they pass, or just worry about the
unpaid medical bills, burial expenses, and financial mess left behind?
My
morning workout podcast was Dave Ramsey, talking about the “must have
insurances” we need to carry. It would appear my cousin did not have life (well,
really death/burial) insurance.
Dave
Ramsey reminded me that paying for insurance month after month (when you don’t
need it) can be a real pain. But, think of it like a life jacket. Bulky to wear,
but when that boat tips over, boy are you glad you have it on!
Without
life/death/burial insurance, our families could be one death away from losing
everything.
According
to bestliferates.org, in 2020, 54% of Americans were insured.
That’s down from 57% in 2019. That means one in three families have no
insurance.
Here
are 7 stories we tell ourselves for not having insurance:
- It's
so expensive
- Term
insurance is just throwing money away
- Life
insurance doesn't pay out anyway
- I'm
single so there's no need for life insurance
- Life
insurance is only really there for people with a mortgage
- If
I get ill, life insurance doesn't help me.
- I’ll
get rejected. I’m too old.
And
none of these are good reasons for the pain we leave behind – the loved one who
is gone and the bills they owe.
There’s
something called burial insurance, which is different than life insurance. It’s
a tool you can use to help your loved ones pay for your final expenses. While
considered a type of life insurance policy, it offers a smaller benefit amount
than traditional term life insurance because its focus is smaller.
No
insurance coverage? Think of your loved ones. Look into it.