If Ye Are Prepared...
In the summer of 2002 my family moved to south Texas. My husband was working across the border in Mexico everyday. Our daughter was about to turn 3, and I was very pregnant with our first son. The news was full of reports of potential dirty bomb attacks and I was anxious and unsettled (and looking back, probably very hormonal), and I felt constant uneasiness. I remembered the scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 38:30 that reads, “but if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” I took it to heart and realized that in order to quell my fear I needed to do something, to actively engage in a project. That’s when I built my first 72 hr kit. It was bulky and did require a Little Tikes wagon to transport, but hey, it was a start.
Since then my preparedness efforts have waxed and waned depending on our situation. Small living spaces and a student budget weren’t particularly conducive to food storage when we were living in Boston for graduate school. But then the time came when we decided to move back to California – the state where we had been living on Sept 11, 2001.
At that time we had been in process of moving out of California to Pennsylvania. My husband was already working in Pennsylvania and was scheduled to fly home the evening of Sept 11th. Of course he didn’t make it back to California that night. The movers were coming the very next day to pack up our house and ship out our cars. Our daughter was 2 years old and had no comprehension of the events of the day, but wanted to watch the footage over and over again – she found it exciting, like it was a fireworks display. I, however, was almost in a panic, trying to reconcile just how much our world had changed that morning and how my sense of peace and security were completely wiped out, all while trying to figure out how I was going to accomplish my husband’s extensive honey-do list before the movers came. Thankfully there was a young couple in our ward (church congregation) - the husband had been sent home from his job in one of the downtown L.A. towers, and the wife was my daughter’s nursery leader. Thanks to them, we didn’t have to spend that awful day alone, AND we were fully ready when the movers came the next morning.
The idea of moving back to California unleashed many of the feelings I had tried to bury after that experience - feelings of helplessness and isolation - and so once settled back in the Golden State I jumped into emergency preparedness and food storage as a way to reduce the possibility of having to feel that way again.
We’ve been back here almost 6 years now. We’ve got a couple more kids, a year+ supply of food, 2+ months of water, and paper goods and personal supplies galore. Our yard is full of fruit trees and I’ve got a healthy little garden. We’re also focusing on preparing our bodies to withstand the physical and psychological struggles a disaster would bring. While I’m still nervous that there’s so much to do, and so little time in which to do it all, I’m confident that my efforts to prepare myself and my family will never go to waste.
Comments
Makes you think about those around you and their preparedness.
Aloha!
Nice to know that you can even little things no matter what your circumstances are.
Great article!
NIce article!!
THank you for sharing this info!
Good Luck!
Preparedness is always on my to-do list, but I can't seem to find a way to do it that works for me.
I hope you win.
Super example from your heart
You have to be prepared witha busy family
great job1
We should all be so ready and prepared
great job2
great job3
great job4
Well done! Being prepared is important and we all need to keep this in mind! Thanks!
great job 5
Go Cecily!
Rock on!
I want you to win!
GOOD ARTICLE
Hold that familytogether
So does my Mom!
Yabadabadoo
And, my dad too. He's going to comment so you know just how much.
I NEED TO GET WATER NOW
I SHOULD ORDER MORE BEANS
Here's to being prepared!
Spring time is myfavorite
We're the might raiders and we're coming your way...
TIME TO ROTATE THE CURRENT STOCK
we're the mighty raiders so get out of our way...
Soooo nice to bealeader
honk beep beep
honk honk beep beep
This is my first comment -- go, fight, win!
BREAK OUT THE EMERGENCY STOVES
#2 -- were you ever in the colorguard?
and maybe wore a crazy black bodysuit?
with hot pink accessories?
Voted xxx times
my mom was too!
Great story
Time to update my 72 hr kit
good story
I need to be as prepared as you are.
How many votes do I get?
i vote for you!
No class tonight
I love your article and the way you presented the topic of preparation! It may have been short but it is to the point and not complicated! It inspired me to get my 72 hour kits in order and kick my butt into gear. Thanks for the push and example to know I am not the only who struggles with this or has been! Do you have anymore advise on other subjects that can hElp me and my family? I would love to read more!
I hope you win!
You are always prepared!
I can this for my Emergency Preparedness effort
Yea!
And one more for good measure!
I vote for you
Another one
Well said!
Great motivation.
Great post.
Share
Last vote from me for Mrs. Prepared.
Great article!
I want fruit trees and a garden! So inspiring. Thank you!
i need to be so much better in this area.
Hope you win!
we're not the least prepared, but definitely not the most either!
Love the article!
i need to plant my garden
will you come plant it for me?
Go C!
I love your ideas!
Great!
Wonderful article!
Sounds good!
Good Luck!
I need to get prepared.
Love it!
Wonderfully stated.
This fits my motto to be prepared.
Good article!
I have some work to do.
Good ideas for frequent movers.
This is great. :)
Great job.
Nice job. :)
You got my vote, not once...
not twice...
Good luck
not thrice...
not 4x...
but FIVE times!
good job!
I love you<3
you like my comments the best....(;
im so proud to call you mother (':
Your AMAZING! keep it up.!
its still letting me comment
Hey
Like the article
Good job
Good luck :)
Bye :D
Good Luck!
Well written article.
Good Luck!
Good job!
this is so inspiring!
be prepared
Good job!
thanks for sharing your story
goodluck
if ye are prepared (for anything), why should we fear?
if we are prepared for anything we have nothing to fear
this is really good:)
thank you
thanks for this!
I think you have motivated me to be better at food storage.
I love how you started a garden.
I will never forget that day and the uneasiness that I felt. I too was pregnant and very hormonal. Great advice to always be prepared. Thanks.
Good Luck!!!!!
I love gardens and how much better the meals are when you cook from food from your garden
It is always good to be prepared.
My food storage helped me get through being laid off, and so this a great thing to share with others
Excellent work!
I think it is safe to say you are an example to us all about being prepared
Love this article! So glad to have your family in the ward!
I really hope you win!
Everyone could always be a little more prepared. So glad that you are able to have your family prepared!
Good luck!
You rock
I need to say how my family loves your garden.... (:
I need to become more prepared!
Sweet
Especially for your example!
I'm just going to keep commenting because I really want you to win!
How is it going? No need to respond.
I'm probably going to start repeating myself...excuse me for that
Oh wise one
Hurray for you
We love you!
great article
I need to prepare myself!
Interesting take on preparedness. Traveling a lot makes me realize that I need to have food ready in case I get back in the middle of a disaster. Thanks for your thoughts
good luck!
I have a 72 hour kit. How do you make sure you aren't hitting expiry dates?
good work
What food products do you use for long-term food storage?
How do you store water?
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