We all have had a brush with Death at one point or another. Maybe a family member, a friend, even a beloved pet. The pain is indescribable, and everyone has it different. But very few consider that it might happen to them at any time.
Phil was a financial strategist, very experienced in his field. He spent many years working with clients and improving his career. He was not what would be considered the age to be called by Death. For him, it happened suddenly. There were no early signs or symptoms, no cough that wouldn’t go away for months, just a little tiredness. Something we all experience and put it down to too much stress at work.
I took over his case after his second dose of chemotherapy. I would get a bi-monthly update from him or his oncologist. It was my job to approve illness payments to him. Technically, I could approve a lump sum covering up to 6 monthly payments, but his case was too unpredictable, and my company was being cautious. Should he pass sooner than the monthly payments I allotted him, I would have to claim overpayment from his next of kin. For me, it was business over humanity. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve last spoken to Phil, and our last conversation still leaves me speechless.
