Preparing for Mother's day.

You now have three weeks to prepare for Mother's Day. You may be preparing for or possibly bracing yourself for the experience of remembering the life of your mother. Last week,  I sang for a memorial service for a mother of three and Grandmother of one. Her daughter is a very bright and progressive woman who I have had the privilege of connecting with named Jenny. 

I am very happy that I can still have lunch or dinner with my mother. Many of us call my mother "Just Joan" or "OhtheJoan" fondly after my web person "Ohthebill" Rosen. My mother is clearly worthy of the titles as well as the audaciousness that comes along with them. I say this in the most complimentary way. 

My mother Joan, is sweet, funny, tremendously caring and my possible ticket to having the next best reality TV show. During my surrender adventure with my cohort Chaz Wesley, I did release work around my mother and the feelings one has when loving someone who does have an opinion and will share it with you most of the time. .

What I came to realize is that whatever story my mother chooses to have or whatever memory she chooses to never let go of, she too is worthy of having it, if that's what she wants. In my childhood I wrote poems and stories about my wonderful mother. As an adult I found myself in a place of judgment about what she should be feeling or not, and asking myself "why is she making me feel this way?"

As much as I had come to understand about thoughts feelings, emotions and beliefs, I had a "mom-block". It's called "If it's not one thing it's your mother." But then it all came down to worthiness. Her worthiness, my worthiness, we all matter and have value regardless of how we display ourselves.

So if you are experiencing anything around the concepts of self-worth and mothers, take this moment to breath, allow, love yourself and know your worth. 

Bukeka

Upcoming Events

"It's All About YOU! in Kansas City. Beginning 5/3/11. To register see www.Bukeka.com.

 

Worthy Dead or Alive

It is no secret that businesses can and do take out life insurance policies on individuals working for their company. It is a common practice to insure the lives of key personnel including executives, partners, and people deemed “essential”, so in the event of their death, the company will have income enough to keep the company afloat or to hire someone with equal knowledge and value. This type of policy is called corporate-owned life insurance or COLI. The value of the policy is generally based on the compensation or expertise of the deceased. It is not meant to add to a company’s profit or bottom line.

In April 2002 the Wall Street Journal ran an article written by staff reporters Ellen E. Schultz and Theo Francis entitled “Companies Profit on Workers' Deaths Through 'Dead Peasants' Insurance”, something at the time was deemed “as widespread as it is little-known”.  The article cited the case of Felipe Tillman of Tulsa, Oklahoma who at 29 years old, died of complications from AIDS.  Felipe had not purchased life insurance but the company he worked for CM Holdings Inc did. The company received a death benefit of $339,302 in Felipe’s name even though his employment ended before his death.

Here is what is known about Dead Peasant Insurance:

• It provides a tax break to companies that purchase the policies.
• Companies may take out loans using the cash value of the life insurance policy as collateral.
• Companies have used death benefits to make good on executive bonuses.
• Policies are now written on lower level or “rank and file” employees at amounts that far out way their salary or seniority.
• A death benefit can be paid to the company even when the employee no longer works there.
• Younger employees who die offer larger payouts than older workers due to actuarial computations that figure they are less likely to die young therefore “the same premium amount buys more coverage for them.”
• Though this practice began to boom in the 1980’s, employers were not required to tell employees until 2006. Even still these policies are often done without the employee’s knowledge.   

Some people find this practice acceptable and perfectly within the right of employers. They argue if the company pays the premium then the company should get the benefit. Others would say that their primary objection is the fact that companies have deducted the interest expense for loans from COLI policies from their taxes. However Congress has stepped up on restricting these instances where the interest is allowed to be tax deductible. Then there are those who find the practice appalling and several families have been successful in suing companies for taking out policies on employees without their knowing.

For those that are appalled, you may decide to take a stand and boycott the list of companies that maintain such a practice. If so, be prepared because you will likely not be able to cool or heat your home, use your credit card, talk on the phone, or clean your home, and if you like your whites whiter than white then “forgetaboutit”.   

Many companies track the employees who have left their employment, but anticipate receiving a death benefit by checking the Social Security Administration's database of deaths. So, if you are unsure whether or not you have value and worth – simply because you exist, all you have to do is ask your current or previous employer to find out if you are lucky enough to be on their list.