Yes, it’s that time of year again when the elves come around watching to see if you have all been good little boys and girls. I have my daughter convinced she is being constantly watched (am I bad?). She’ll do something nice for me or her little sister and ask, “Was there an elf?” Sometimes I say, “Yep, he just went to report it to Santa!” Other times I say, “Nope, keep trying!”

It’s also that time of year when folks get thinking (or should be, at least) about how thankful they are for all of the many wonderful people in their lives and how favorable their circumstances are (even if not very favorable, someone always has it worse, right?). One thing that I am thankful for is my parents. I’m glad that they had enough sway and influence in my life to help me understand the good, the bad, and the ugly. I was helped to appreciate the good things in life and to steer clear of the bad. Sometimes things do get ugly, but I was taught, “This too shall pass.”

So when we pause to appreciate what we are thankful for, we often realize that it’s people, pets, places and experiences. Not so much things. Okay, you might have a favorite blankie, or you may just be glad in your heart for the cocoa bean that eventually makes its way into the chocolate Kisses that you stow away for special indulgences. But, you do realize that life is more precious than these “things”, and you are grateful for your life with all of its intricacies, even its ups and downs and downright bungee-cord-free-falls.

Whenever you lose something or someone, then you realize that you wish to keep what you’ve got, and you start to hold on a little bit tighter to life as you know it. You realize what little control you have over some parts of your life, and you try to exert as much influence over the remaining portion. Knowing that there are some things that you can do, in fact some things that you may be neglecting to do, you are well-advised to make some course corrections so that you can live more responsibly and fulfill your life’s mission.

I could be mistaken, but I think it is part of mine and everybody else’s mission to help fellow travelers on the road of life. A couple of nights ago, I came out of the grocery store with my family and heard a familiar click, click, click. I knew someone had a dead battery. Someone else had a dead battery a few days ago (namely, me), and I was graciously helped to know where to connect the jumper cables even though my car’s battery is situated in the storage space in the tail end of the car. I was glad to offer a hand to this stranger. A pair of jumper cables I had at the ready and I was glad to be able to use them. I thought how that experience was better than the ice cream cone I had just eaten with my kids in the store. And my daughter said, “Dad, that was really nice!” She’s almost 6 and I want her to do these types of things as a habit (of course, she may choose other types of things, to be on the safe side).

At this time of year, I can unabashedly and without reservation say that even though things are not the most important, when the things in question are tools to help preserve the lives and health of us and those around us, they are indeed worthwhile, especially to give as gifts at Christmastime. Sure this is a sales pitch, but as far as Christmas gifts go, would you rather give something that would be trendy and useful to your loved ones for a short time only, or something that could have a much more far-reaching effect? As unexciting as it sounds, what if you gave them a water barrel? They could store the elixir of life! What about an Amber Alert GPS? They could track their precious children and not go through the heartache that the parents you’ve heard of go through when their child is abducted! How about a 72 Hour Kit? A car emergency kit? They could potentially avoid needless suffering in the event of a disaster or an unfortunate breaking down of their car. Food Storage? Boring! Well it wouldn’t be so boring if they lost their job, or needed it to sustain them in a time of clear and present danger. How about non- genetically modified seeds that could be collected from produce and replanted each and every year? And what about a book, an all time bestseller to teach them about all of these things to get their family prepared? By now, the light should be beaming!

Have you changed a life today? Will you for Christmas?

Exit stage North, where all of these things will be waiting for your perusal at the top of the website (across buttons), and on the right, under Food Storage and Preparedness.

Related Posts:

Emergency Food Storage: Giving the Gift of Life
Emergency Preparedness for the Safety and Protection of Our Elders
The Safekeeping of Our Children Part of Emergency Preparedness
Beyond Food Storage: How to Maintain Cherished Conveniences Even in Survival Mode