I attended a National Preparedness Month tele-seminar a few weeks ago.  We talked about big, life-changing events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, and insurance, preparation and recovery.  The class reminded me that even little events have the capacity for rocking our world if we are unprepared.

     We need to be prepared for big events and big-to-us events. 

     I remember late night ER visits for croup with my babies.  Not big events for other people, but big and critical and terrifying to us at 2 am.  The same strategies work for all emergencies, big or small. 

     Let’s bring National Preparedness month down to a convenient pocket size.  Know, at all times, where a few vital items are.  They may be:

1. Cell Phone (with contacts and calendar up to date);
2. Car and house keys (clipped to my purse at the door at all times);
3. Wallet and Insurance card (we each carry one in our wallets);
4. Emergency medications (Diabetics can carry insulin and a snack, asthmatics carry inhalers, people with allergies carry epi-pens);
5. Bag or purse:  When my boys were babies, we re-stocked the diaper bag the moment we got home.  You never know when you have to run out the door, for your own emergency or someone else’s.  And
6. Family members and pets?  This sounds odd, but you need to know where all of your family members are sleeping each night.  We insist the kids sleep in their own beds every night for lots of reasons, but also because we need to be able to find them in the dark if there was a fire or an emergency.

     So, What are your vital items?  

     Make it a point to choose a home for these items and commit to putting them in their home every day, and know that you are ready to conquer your own emergencies.