On All Kinds of Security

Dear John,

 

My biopsy result was finally run to earth. It showed a fibroma, so normal. Much ado about nothing. I have to have a follow-up mammogram in six months. Joe was incensed about the confusion and the system of notification in general. I didn't bother to tell him what happened with your lung biopsy. While we're quoting probably-de Vere, all's well that ends well.

 

I worked my half-day today and went to Elkhart to the Social Security office after work. My income is well below the level that would keep me from collecting your full Social Security. Yours now is three-quarters of my current income. I have an appointment next month to go over and file for it. I could have filed today, but I have to bring our marriage certificate and my birth certificate. I can get yours until I retire, then I can file for yours or mine, whichever is more. If I work until I'm 66, mine will be almost three times what I'm making now. So at that point I'll switch over from yours to mine.

 

So I should be okay. I'll start getting yours in November - maybe December, since my birthday is late in the month. I can put half into savings and half toward the mortgage, and have the mortgage paid off by the time I retire. And in about a year I'll have replaced the money I will spend on the new roof.

 

It's a little funny. The Social Security people say that it will pay you about 40% of your current income. That seems to be based on the assumption that you will make more money later in life. But I'm the exception. I used to make about twice what I do now. So Social Security will pay me much more than I'll be making at retirement.

 

It will be nice to have some security as I get older. We saved, we invested my inheritance, then lost almost three-quarters of it when the economy crashed and spent the rest taking care of you your last year. I'm glad we had it when we needed it. But I ended up at zero. Which is much better than ending up in debt - the only debt I had when you died, and still the only debt I have, is the mortgage. I've achieved solvency and been able to put a little back. I'm glad to not have to worry about the future.

 

So know that I will be okay. And the people at the Social Security office were wonderful to me. People are so kind to widows. And that is nice, since the one inconsiderate action of your life was leaving me here by myself.

 

Oh, I forgot. On the way home I stopped at the Dunlap Verizon store and got my new phone. I got an I-Phone 6 - it's the 5 on steroids. It's faster with more memory, but the important thing is that it's a little bigger and I can play Sudoku without reading glasses. With my average usage - since I run the phone off the Wi-Fi when I'm at home - I could get the cheapest plan. It will save me about forty dollars a month. I'm very happy about it.

 

So I'm taken care of in lots of ways. My phone number is the same, so you have no excuse for not calling or texting me. Send me some pictures! I'd love a photo of Mama and Daddy, and my grandparents. Give them a hug for me.

 

Sleep good, and know that I adore you,

Joan.