A father is someone who inspires integrity, hard work, and responsibility. A dad is a funny role model who teaches their child life lessons that they, in turn, will pass on to their own children—whether it be the importance of honesty or how to throw a football with a perfect spiral. This figure is essential in the life of any child, teenager, or adult. I was 14 years old when my father passed away.
My father embodied stability in my life. He worked multiple jobs to support my brother and me. One of those jobs was as a teacher. Because of this, he instilled in me the belief that education was paramount and often tutored me in my studies. When he passed away, that stability crumbled. Being enrolled in the academically rigorous Central Magnet School, I knew it was imperative to keep my grades up, regardless of the circumstances I was facing. Losing my tutor added another hurdle on top of the emotional and financial struggles.
My dad was a beacon of positivity. He gave me memories that I will cherish forever. Every weekend, he would take my brother and me out to eat at our favorite restaurant. He also took us to fun places like circuses and fairs. My favorite memories are of the birthday parties he threw for me at the skate center or laser tag arcade. When he passed, those sources of happiness disappeared with him.
COVID was a difficult time. My mother had to dip into our savings to stay afloat. My dad had worked multiple jobs to support us, and when he
passed away due to complications from COVID, we were left financially devastated. A few months later, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. If my family had been informed about the importance of life insurance, we could have been spared much of the financial and emotional burden. Life insurance would have given us time to figure out how to move forward without a primary source of income. It would have allowed my brother to attend college instead of joining the military to help my mother with expenses. I had aspirations of going to schools like Vanderbilt, Yale, or Harvard. A reality I had to face was these schools would be far too expensive to attend.
Last year, I fulfilled my promise and graduated from Central Magnet with a 4.0 GPA, having passed 11 AP classes. Currently, I am an undergraduate student at Middle Tennessee State University, planning to graduate a year early so my mother can retire as soon as possible. When I start my own family, I will ensure that my partner and I have life insurance policies. The hardship my family endured is something I would never want anyone else to experience. Having lived through it, I now understand the importance of preparing for the worst-case scenario.