This last weekend, I talked to my friend Maria in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has a husband and three boys age 12 and younger. Maria related their recent weather woes - two feet of snow in one day and then another foot of snow. They had no electricity for several days and it was bitterly cold. Maria had a pan she put on the side of the fireplace to heat Progresso soup. They mostly ate soup and crackers. She stated they learned a lot during those days. Maria mentioned everyone should have an emergency kit consisting of candles, matches, a battery-operated radio, flashlights and extra batteries, and this kit should be easily accessible. She questioned if I had all of these items together, and I had to respond "not really." This brought back memories of being awakened at 5:00 a.m. two years ago by the cracking and falling of tree branches on the roof because of an ice storm. With no electricity, it was rather difficult stumbling and groping around in the dark to find a flashlight, which was inconveniently located in the garage. The emergency kit idea makes sense. (And don't forget a manual can opener.)
As I thought more about these situations that will once in a while occur, I realized here in Oklahoma tornado season will be arriving shortly. Now that I have a teenager who is at home at times when I am not, we discussed where he should go in our home in case of a tornado. It is a good idea to have emergency plans in advance and to discuss them with your family.
A footnote to Maria's story: She was very worried about the weight of all the snow on her roof, as the roof is borderline on needing replacement. On one of the dark days, Maria flipped the Bible open. It opened to Proverbs 31, which discusses the wife of noble character. A verse immediately jumped out to her, "When it snows, she has no fear for her household. . . " Proverbs 31:21 NIV
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