The Insurance Agent

Yesterday my mom said she had to tell me something but it was going to make me cry. I told her go ahead. It was one of those days when I couldn’t stop anyway, so a little more fuel to the fire wouldn’t make much difference. She told me that she had just spoken to our insurance agent, Ronen. He has been taking care of some of our insurance policies for years, mostly car and maybe house insurance. Actually I remember very clearly when Ronen first started working for Amir, they totally got off on the wrong foot. They had some kind of argument about one policy but after that, I didn’t really hear much from him or about him but I was sort of aware in the periphery of my brain that Amir was still working with him.

My mom said that Ronen told her that he would like to personally handle all my insurance issues related to Amir’s death – in Israel that is a big deal. It includes all of Amir’s pension plans, savings and investments, all of which I know nothing about. It’s a big job and I had already talked to a lawyer about hiring him to do it. But Ronen said he would do it for free. Of course, my mom refused. But he insisted. My mom insisted back and Ronen then told her it’s because he “owes” Amir. He said something like, believe me, I owe him big time. You don’t know what a man he was. What a man. It’s the least I can do for his wife.

So my mom and I figure Amir must have done something to help him, probably with his work. The sad part is that simply – it is so not surprising. And that’s what did make me cry. Just the sheer number of people who come to me and my mom over and over and tell us how Amir helped them so much in their careers or when they were in trouble, it just doesn’t seem to end! Each time, another person and another person tells us how he took such an interest in their lives and did something for them.

It’s amazing to me because I am a person that theoretically would like to help people, but I know I don’t do much or that my good intentions don’t always bear fruit. But with Amir, it was always something real and tangible and significant. He really changed people’s lives, helping so many and I had absolutely no idea of the magnitude until these last days when people just don’t stop coming forward and telling me. How did he have the time? Or the energy? Where did all the interest and will to get so involved in other people’s business come from? The idea is so foreign to me. I remember once I told Amir maybe we should be giving more of our paycheck to charity..the Jewish religion says 10%, I don’t believe we came close to that. Amir told me, don’t worry I help people all the time. I knew it was true but I wasn’t sure it was enough, I was a bit skeptical. I can’t believe how blind I was sometimes.