I was chatting with someone today about being persistent, and it brought to mind the process that I had to endure with the credit card companies to get the insurance that we had been paying for on our credit cards for a number of years…

the point of the insurance is that if something happens – injury, job loss, death, they will pay off what is owing on your credit card…  for every card we had, I had to advise them of George’s death, and they would send me – usually by Canada Post – complicated forms to complete…  much of the information I was able to provide, but portions had to be completed by the doctor, and one even needed the Coronor’s input…  after our doctor had completed these forms and charged for that service, I discovered that the Medical Examiner’s Office could also have completed and signed the forms, at no charge…

but back to the credit card insurance companies…  after all the documentation was sent to them – much of it having to be notarized, they would send another document to be completed…  

it felt as though they were trying to make the whole process so complicated and time consuming that a person wouldn’t bother to jump through all the hoops…

I must say that the life insurance companies were much easier to deal with… they sent the documents, often by email if requested, and they were very simple to fill in and return…

filling out all the forms was fairly stressful but I found that I could contact real people, particularly the life insurance companies, who would assist with completion of the forms…

at some point in the process I discovered that the credit card insurance people don’t actually talk to the credit card people, so then I had to call the credit card people to advise of George’s death…  at that point some advised that I could no longer use the card…

it seems like that process all took places years ago, but it is only – already? – nine months today since George’s death…

I spent some time tonight digging out ornaments and decorations and starting to get the tree ready… this year I have a small, live, Norfolk Pine… usually George would set up the tree, put on the lights, and after I had decorated it, he would hang silver tinsel on it, one piece at a time…  if I was helping I would toss handfuls at the tree… what fun we had…