So what is this all about? What does it mean to be prepared?
Life throws the unexpected at us every day. From the weather to traffic to the child who wakes up sick in the middle of the night, we might have to deal with any number of changes to our plans.
When I was a kid, my dad decided to start his own business. He threw his heart and soul into it, but without success. It went under, and so did our finances for awhile.
What kept us going was the fact that my mother had put together a year’s supply of food. Because we had such a large supply of food that my mother had both preserved and bought on sale, we were able to keep our small supply of cash for more important things, like keeping a roof over our heads.
It was a difficult time, but we made it, because of my mother’s emphasis during the good times of making sure we were ready for bad times.
This blog is about being prepared. Not simply prepared for a natural disaster (although that’s important) or The End Of The World As We Know It. It’s about being able to take care of yourself and being prepared for whatever life may throw at you, whether it’s job loss, the loss of a loved one, or even just surprise visitors. It’s about being in charge of your life by being ready for the unexpected.
True preparedness involves all aspects of your life – education and finances are every bit as important as the supplies you keep on hand. It is a hopeful, optimistic way of going about life. Whatever happens, you are preparing yourself to overcome it and to thrive in spite of whatever crises come your way.
I was up until 2 a.m. last night with small, sick children. Once I’d finally gotten them to bed, the older members of our family started waking up sick. At the moment, I am the only member of the family who hasn’t been bitten by this bug, and I’m holding my breath, waiting for those first faint sensations that will tell me I’ve got it, too. But that’s OK, because we already have everything we need to take care of everyone. Chicken soup? In the pantry. Crackers? Same place. Pedialyte? Downstairs in my main storage area.
All I have to do now is concentrate on holding hair back, comforting distressed kids, and keeping up with what is proving to be an endless pile of laundry. It is such a relief not to have to run to the store right now!
So join me in getting prepared. Give yourself the gift of knowing that you’ve got what you need, able to meet life’s emergencies, big and small, with confidence and security.