We often talk about how important it is to know our “why” as individuals and as employees of National Life. And we often talk our “why” as a company, at least in general terms, even if it is a somewhat abstract concept.
But our “why,” our reason for doing what we do, is quite profound, as all of us were reminded so vividly this week at our quarterly employee meeting when we met Carmen Demar and her two little girls.
Carmen’s husband, Danny, who worked at a local car dealership, had a life insurance policy a few years ago when he helped sell a new car to Jan Knutsen, who works with the Vermont Agency.
She suggested he switch to National Life and he went home and talked it over with Carmen.
“Danny looked at the pros and cons and would it benefit us to have this policy,” Carmen said at the employee meeting. “‘I know we have this prior insurance,’” she recalled him saying. “‘But I think this is the real deal. This is the one that would take care of us in any situation, whether health or financially, we can’t do something.’”
As it turns out, Danny had gall bladder issues not long after. He didn’t fully recover from surgery, leading to more tests and ultimately a cancer diagnosis.
Within six months Danny, just 32 years old, died. Carmen credits the people and products of National Life for helping her and her two little girls – just a newborn and a toddler when Danny died – with being able to carry on.
“You guys, you have helped us so many ways,” Carmen said. “I’m able to stay at home still, my girls are taken care of. We can still be in our house, we have our family.
“We may be just one family but you have helped us in so many ways. We have our struggles, we have our hard times, but we have each other,” she said. “So I just want to say thank you. You guys are amazing, you are doing a great service to people.”
Carmen is just one of 811,677 customers. But she personifies the “why” in what we do every day.