Thursday, June 28, 2007

IF YOU LOVE THEM

(BASED ON TRUE STORIES)

Her life was not going so good. She never would have won a beauty contest, but now things were even worse. She had trusted the wrong person, now she was an unwed mother. Her son was a treasure; but it was not likely any man would marry a woman with a child. She also had no education or job skills so her chances of finding good employment were not very good either. Her family was very poor and her own future seemed equally bleak.
Suddenly, a chance meeting on the internet sparked a romance. He was not handsome and was many years older than her, but he loved and respected her. After they were married, he began the adoption of her son. He even bought some farmland, so her family could start feeding themselves and earn a modest living. God had finally forgiven her mistakes and blessed her and her son.
It did not happen like it does in the movies. He was just walking down the hall when suddenly he stiffened and fell forward. The heart attack killed him before he hit the floor. Her life turned upside down and came to a crashing halt. She was suddenly a widow and her son again had no father. There was no money for food or rent. She still had no job skills or education. She was right back where she started only now there was a hole in her life where there once had been a loving husband.
I know personally at least five women who have suffered a similar life disaster. One woman’s loving Filipino husband went to Cebu and was murdered. She was left destitute with a house full of children. Another woman’s young husband was murdered this year and she has five children. Just this week a nice lady lost her husband to cancer and was hard pressed just to pay for the funeral. I know of two incidents where the wife died leaving the husband with the burden of raising his family alone.
I think I know, psychologically, why we do not prepare for these disasters. We want to keep the self delusion that we will live forever. The harsh truth is we will all die and death can come at any moment. If you love them you must prepare and protect them NOW not tomorrow.
All of you Everyday Heroes, instead of making those you love totally dependent on you; make them totally independent. Educate them and prepare them in case you are not there. Give them job skills and a career. Create an educational trust fund. Keep an emergency bank account to pay for unexpected medical expenses. Get health insurance. If you love them, be an Everyday Hero…. PROTECT THEM NOW NOT LATER !

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