And They Say Diamonds Are Forever!

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Episode Transcript

This may be a VERY unpopular opinion, but – with everything I know now about life insurance – to me, it signifies more of a commitment and greater LOVE than a diamond ring.

I can almost feel you rolling your eyes. But… hear me out:

If you and your partner are in a committed, loving relationship, wouldn’t you want to make sure they were taken care of if you were to pass away unexpectedly?

And by “taken care of,” I mean: the bills still get paid. The lights stay on. Groceries get bought. Your partner doesn’t have to make panicked financial decisions while they’re grieving.

Love isn’t just emotional — it’s practical.

Think of that last moment between Jack and Rose in the Titanic – SPOILER ALERT for anyone who hasn’t seen this amazing 90s movie – he knows he’s about to slip off the raft to his death, and what does he say to her?

Excuse my terrible Jack Dawson impression, but I quote:

“Listen, Rose. You’re gonna get out of here, you’re gonna go on and you’re gonna make lots of babies, and you’re gonna watch them grow. You’re gonna die an old lady warm in her bed. Not here, not this night.”

Practical AND romantic!

But, is it realistic? Well, I guess that depends on if she has the financial support to go out and live those dreams.

Of course, we know Jack and Rose weren’t married and – considering he was the poor one – his life insurance wouldn’t have helped her much anyway… BUT imagine that beautiful, heartbreaking scene between you and your partner in TODAY’S modern world, where I’m going to guess you both depend on each other’s salaries to pay the rent or mortgage, cover everyday expenses, and raise your children (if you have any).

The most romantic thing I think a partner could tell you in that moment is, “Go to third drawer in my nightstand and grab my will. Call my advisor and let them know I passed away so that you can claim the money, and not have to worry about selling the house and moving the kids out of the home and neighbourhood we all love.”

This, my friends, is romance after marriage.

But seriously, if that’s not “forever,” I don’t know what is. This actually goes above and beyond ‘til death do us part,’ because your partner is taking care of you EVEN IN death.

Wow. I’m starting to think I could write a romance novel on this premise. (Ha!)

Let’s add another romantic piece to this financial planning puzzle: You get to do this very important thing together. Points for quality time!

Unlike the OTHER Leonardo DiCaprio movie, where he (as Romeo) and Juliet end their lives together in what I assume Shakespeare thought was the ultimate act of romance, I’m talking about figuring out your end-of-life planning together.

What I’m saying is you need to sit down and have the uncomfortable conversations while you’re healthy, calm, and in love. It’s basically sitting down and saying, “If something happened to me, I don’t want your life to fall apart. I don’t want you making decisions out of grief and panic. I want you to have options.”

When couples plan this side by side, they’re not just protecting their finances — they’re protecting the life they built together. Having financial support in place means being able to take the time you need to grieve, without making panicked decisions, like selling your home. It means staying where your memories live: in the home you raised your children in, with the kids in the same school and neighbourhood – because you can afford to.

I challenge you to tell me (in the comments, if you’d like!) what’s more romantic than saying to your partner, “I’m thinking about your future, even in a world where I’m not in it.”?

Because, honestly, to me, that’s a deeper promise than flowers, jewelry, or a single big day. That’s choosing each other in the long term — with a whole lot of love.

I wonder if most of us avoid these conversations because because they feel awkward, too heavy, or like we’re somehow tempting fate by talking about them out loud.

But I would argue that planning for the “what if” isn’t inviting bad luck. Instead, it’s saying: I love our life. I love what we’ve built. And I don’t want one terrible day to undo all of it.

I think it’s time for a change of mindset when it comes to life insurance. It isn’t about expecting the worst – it’s about planning for the worst case scenario. It’s about making sure grief doesn’t come with an eviction notice at the exact moment someone is just trying to get through the day.

And seriously, I get it if you haven’t had this conversation yet. It’s certainly not one that comes up over dinner. It happens because two people decide to sit down one day, probably with coffee or wine, and say, “Okay… let’s talk about the uncomfortable stuff — because we love each other enough to.”

And no, it’s not sexy. There’s no proposal story here. No Instagram post or sparkly box.
But there is something incredibly intimate about it.

Because you’re trusting your partner enough to have one of the hardest conversations. It’s being honest about your fears, responsibilities, and what really matters if everything changes overnight.

That’s why I keep coming back to this idea that life insurance — when it’s done intentionally, thoughtfully, and together — is one of the most underrated acts of long-term love we have.

While diamond rings may symbolize “forever” to many people, I think a solid plan that PROTECTS the love of your life is an even bigger statement. And, guess what – if you choose a term life policy to replace your income during your working years or to cover your mortgage until it’s paid off, the monthly payments are actually much more affordable than a diamond ring. To put it in perspective, the cost of an average engagement ring in Canada could cover many years’ worth of monthly term life insurance payments — so there ya go!

Not to say we can’t have both… right ladies?!

Let me just end this by saying: maybe, just maybe, that’s why Cal and his impressive “heart of the ocean” didn’t get the girl in the end. She was looking for a different kind of love.

Alright, time to sprinkle a little bit of kindness into the episode! And guess what, it’s Valentine’s Day themed.

A friend of mine told me about the last Valetine’s Day her elderly parents spent together. Sadly, her once romantic dad had dementia and no longer remembered these types of special occasions. So my friend ran out to grab her mom a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a gift card to her favourite local coffee shop. She snuck into the house while her parents were napping, and she left the gift waiting for her mom on the table. I think the message said something like, “Dad may not remember today, but the love he has for you hasn’t gone anywhere.”  Ah, so touching!

Well, that was short and sweet! Do you have any moments of kindness you witnessed or participated in that you’d like to share? Drop them in the comments – I’d love to hear about them! See you next time!