MLK Day event
Tiffany Ramzy
“We’re not promised tomorrow. We’ll never know when we’ll run out of time. I won’t take you for granted. In the blink of an eye, just a whisper of smoke, you could lose everything. The truth is you never know.” This Meghan Trainor song (featuring John Legend) was played repeatedly in the background on Monday, Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, before the start of the “Are You Prepared?” event hosted by the African American Social Group. The event addressed questions such as, “Would you know what to do if you lost your spouse?” “Will you be able to afford in-home care when you can no longer perform activities of daily living?” and “Will your kids know what to do when you pass away?”
Robson resident Clark Culpeper read excerpts from Dr. King’s 1967 speech entitled, “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” A famous line in the speech is, “Our slogan must be ‘Learn, Baby, Learn, so that we can ‘Earn, Baby, Earn.’”
The keynote speaker, Leigh Hilton, an estate planning and elder law attorney, addressed the topic of wills and trusts and “Who gets your stuff when you die?” and she gave free copies of her book with the same title. Bertha Hurels, a state-licensed senior pre-planning advisor with Dignity Memorial, advised that cremation and funeral pre-planning can bring peace of mind, the assurance of a memorial that’s unique to you, and the benefit of guarding against rising costs by locking in today’s funeral, cremation, and cemetery prices. Henry Bryant, Jr, a semi-retired Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) who was selected as the Five-Star Wealth Manager by Texas Monthly magazine, signifying he was in the top five percent of wealth leaders in North Texas for both years 2010 and 2011, gave a presentation on long-term care insurance. Henry’s speech was riddled with humorous examples that drove home the idea that: 1) You don’t want your loved ones to be afraid, and 2) You don’t want to be neglected when you get older.
One audience member shared her testimony about the unthinkable—having to bury a child. Another member shared her experience and pre-planning as a heart-transplant recipient. She emphasized that being physically fit increased her odds of success for the surgery and recovery. The hostess for the event, Robson resident Tiffany Ramzy, shared her unique experiences as a two-time widow.
At the end of the event, everyone stood and sang two verses of the song “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” known as the Negro National Anthem. There were close to 50 people in attendance.
Special thanks to Robson’s Women Sharing Hope group who gave permission for the use of their workbook Are You Prepared to Be Left Behind? All attendees received a pdf copy.
The African American Social Group provides an opportunity for Robson African Americans to gather together for networking, support, encouragement, and socializing. For more information, contact Tiffany Ramzy at 216-346-9416 or [email protected].