When I was a young man, I had no idea what my father did for a living. My friend Mary’s dad was a doctor. He made sick people better. Eric’s dad was a firefighter. He put out fires. Marcel’s dad was a chef, and everyone knew what he did.

But my dad sold life insurance, and I had no idea what my father did for a living.

Despite the mystery surrounding my father’s employment, he never missed any of my after-school baseball games, football games or opportunities to go to the park. My father was always in the audience, even when the activities were in the middle of the day.

What profession allows parents the flexibility to be there for their children, whenever they need them? Our profession! That’s what!

What profession allows parents to be there to share their children’s successes versus just hearing about them after the fact? Our profession! That’s what!

What profession compels parents to put family first? Say it with me: Our profession!

When I was growing up, my family traveled all over the world, to England, France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and many others. Dad was a life insurance agent, and Mom was a travel agent. I didn’t know what my father did for a living, but my family had the time, resources and inclination to travel.

What profession makes that possible? Our profession!

My father was an active community volunteer. He was active in NAIFA, he was active in the Society of Financial Service Professionals, and he was active in MDRT. When I was growing up, I didn’t know what my father did for a living, but he was a leader in every area of his life. My father embodied the Whole Person concept.

What profession makes that possible? Our profession!

How fortunate I was to grow up with a father who sold life insurance. His family, his clients, his community and his profession were all better off because of his career choice.

What my father actually did for a living all came into sharp focus for me one cool winter morning when I was home from college. The phone rang at 5 a.m. No good calls ever come that early. It was the wife of one of my father’s closest friends.

Her husband and the father to her three young sons had just died of a heart attack.

All the family friends gathered to console the woman and her three boys. No one knew what to say. Finally, the youngest boy, age 10, broke the silence when he asked his mother if they could stay in their home.

At this point my father began to cry.

My father knew the answer to the little boy’s question: “Yes, you can stay in your home.” He knew this because my father was more than a close friend. My father was also their life insurance agent, and the answer to the little boy’s question was what my father did for a living.

The answer to the little boy’s question is what we all do for a living.

What we do matters, and if we don’t do it, who will?

We all have prospects who tell us, “There’s no need,” “There’s no money,” and “There’s no time.” To that I say, “Mr. Prospect, I am here to help you protect the people you love — full stop!” We have a responsibility to all the little boys and girls in our communities.

When I was a young man, I had no idea what my father did for a living, but I knew I wanted to be in a profession that allowed me to be there for my family, my clients and my community. And more than anything, I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. How fortunate I was to have a father who showed me the perfect profession to do that. Thank you, Dad. I hope my actions, accomplishments and 27 years of MDRT membership have made you proud.

And, by the way, even though it would have been easier to explain what a doctor or a firefighter does professionally, there is no better profession than our profession and what my father did for a living.

Brad Elman, CLU, ChSNC, is a 27-year MDRT member with 16 Court of the Table qualifications and one Top of the Table honor. He is a seven-time MDRT Annual Meeting speaker, including on Main Platform in 2013, and a three-time MDRT Divisional Vice President. Elman is regularly sought out by the media for information on consumer finance and has been a regular guest on the NBC Bay Area News.