Pg 036: 54-cent Insurance policy

 

My father died when he was 85.

 

About three weeks after he died, I was on a trip and was on the phone with my wife.  She reported that it looked like a check for me had come from John Hancock Insurance. She thought it was a death benefit check.

 

I asked her to open it, and she said, “It is a death benefit check for  54..... ah, 54....Steve, this is a check for 54 cents.”  “John Hancock sent us a check for 54 cents?” I asked.  “Yes. The face value of the policy was $2.00."

 

A month later my aunt died.  I assembled again with my four sisters and as we talked, I mentioned, “Wow, how about that check from dad’s policy...”  We all laughed. I continued, “What can you do with 54 cents?"

 

My sisters immediately stopped laughing, looked at me, and said, “You got 54 cents?  We only got 53.”