The man's daughter mentioned how he also paid for gas, water, and power, to make sure his wife wouldn't need to.
The grief of losing a loved one is something nothing in the world can prepare an individual for. The memories left behind can barely be contained in words but a husband's last gesture of love is the true testimony of how relationships and emotions transcend the boundaries of mortality. For forty-one years, the father of X (formerly Twitter) user known as @AriThinks, was in charge of paying the bills in the household. He took such good care of his responsibilities, that his wife didn't have to worry about expenses at all, even after he passed away.
My Dad passed a few days ago and my Mom doesn’t even know who he makes payments to because she’s never paid a bill. So we call and find out that like all the bills were paid up 6 months in advance. He put credits on the gas water and electric that will last her years ❤️ love him
— 👼🏾 (@AriThinks) March 21, 2024
In the post that went viral with more than 5.2 million views, Ari wrote, "My Dad passed a few days ago and my Mom doesn’t even know who he makes payments to because she’s never paid a bill." She further added, "So we call and find out that like all the bills were paid up 6 months in advance." Not only did he pay the bills six months in advance, but he also put credits on utilities including gas water as well as electricity, that are going to last her for years.
Needless to say, the internet was moved by the thoughtful gesture. "Now she can mourn without any worries. Praying for your family! Your father sounds like an amazing man who kept his family on his mind," a user @GhibliGal wrote. "This made my heart smile. I’m sorry for your loss love. Hold on tight to the memories you shared with him! @terrorbul_ added.
Another user @Jaded_365 shared an anecdote, "When my dad passed in 2017, I think he knew how ill he was before we could fully grasp it. He upped his life insurance & paid extra for additional insurance through his prior job (he was a retired business administrator for the city). My mom has been taken care of ever since."
The man's gesture as a father and a husband stands out in a world where the next of kin is often obligated to pay the bills after a person's death. Such was the plight of the family of a woman who received a bill charging them for the woman breaking a lease upon her death. The woman's children got a collection notice and were required to pay $15,676, despite a Texas law mentioning that a family member can cancel a lease if a loved one passes away. “The fact that they're attacking, coming after the next of kin, who quite honestly, we loved our mom and we're still grieving and all they care about is the money," said David Waterman, the woman’s son.
The woman, 91-year-old Sandra Bonilla died back in June and at the time of her death, she had almost a year left on her two-year lease. “We went to the apartment complex, spoke to the leasing manager and he told us that he would use the security deposit towards the cleaning and turning over the apartment and that they would terminate the lease," Waterman told NEWS4SA. The son later said that they sent the termination notice and still received a collection letter threatening legal action.