What’s Your Life Worth?

If you provoked my closest friends to divulge what they really think about me, you would hear them say, “Sumit? He’s the most self-centred person we have ever met.” I know this because they’ve said it to my face on multiple occasions. I don’t agree with them, of course. Would you label someone ‘self-centred’ just because they arrived late to a birthday dinner? Granted, it was scheduled weeks in advance, and yes, I was nearly two hours late, but for good reason! I was well on my way when I noticed a tiny rip in my precious John Lobb’s. Setting aside the fact that I was absolutely devastated to find my bespoke shoes worth 7 lakh rupees ruined, isn’t it rude to show up to an elegant party with torn footwear? If anything, I was being considerate when I went back home and replaced them with Jimmy Choos. But I digress.

The first thing I do after waking up in the morning and checking my iPhone 8 is put on my sports shoes and head out for a run. An intense hour of power jogging later, I come back home and prepare my usual breakfast – steel cut oats and fresh fruit juice with a side of bananas or blueberries. Call me a stickler for routine, but I never compromise on the timing of my schedule, mainly because I can’t afford to be even a second late for work. Actually, I am an investment analyst, so it’s more like my clients can’t afford me being even a second late for work. I don’t like to brag, but I have made myself quite invaluable to my company with my exceptional performance. And even though I make enough money to afford the crème de la crème of everything, I prefer a middle-class lifestyle. I live in a 3-bedroom apartment, drive a Mercedes E-Class, fly premium economy, things like that. According to my parents, humility is one of my strongest traits. Sometimes I think they’re the only ones who really get me.

Speaking of parents being best friends, I just remembered that I haven’t called them in a while. It was their 30th wedding anniversary a week ago, but I was far too caught up at work to wish them personally. I did text them, though, so it’s not like I didn’t wish them at all. I’m not a monster. They responded saying they were extremely proud of me, and why shouldn’t they be? I have worked very hard to create this lifestyle for myself and become an important part of this world. That’s every parent’s dream for their child, isn’t it?

While it is true that every parent wants their child to be successful and independent, what they want even more is for him or her to be safe and protected. Sumit might measure his worth based on the price of his watch or the number of zeroes in his account statement, but for his parents and loved ones, his life is invaluable. And, no matter how minutely he plans every second of his life, there are some uncertainties that like to show up unannounced and shake up the schedule. That’s why we have life insurance and  term insurance plans . Because even though the void Sumit leaves behind if something happens to him can never be refilled, a good insurance plan might give his family some much-needed financial respite in the most trying time of their lives. In addition to equipping them with the ability to meet any monetary obligations like home loans or other debts their son might leave in his wake, insurance will also allow them to maintain a steady lifestyle in the absence of a caregiver.