Saving Your Pictures in an Evacuation

From the cars in the background, and my hazy math, it appears that the photo in the above link was taken sometime in the mid sixties around my age of seven.  That is me is the middle, flanked by two of my four sisters.  From the crown on my head and the cascading veil, it is apparent that we are Catholic. We sure looked happy in this picture. 

 Every child born into the religion is encouraged in second grade to complete a rite of passage referred to as the Second Sacrament of the Church.  It is called First Holy Communion. What I remember most about the ceremony was being able to take the Body of Christ upon my tongue and drink his blood in the Challis the Priest had wiped with his kerchief after each sip.    My best memories, however, are of my veil and how it made me feel like a Princess appropriately dressed  in matching white shoes and lacy socks.  I don’t recall if they were new or another set of hand-me-downs.  It didn’t matter.  We felt special.

At a birthday party recently, the sister on the left told me how much she loved this picture.  It sits on my desk in the home office. We laughed and reminisced about how she felt like a million bucks in her Mary Jane shoes, best Sunday dress, and her button straw hat.  Mary, the dark haired beauty on the other side was less enthused.  She only had a pair of  canvas shoes that had seen much better days. 

When we were getting ready for an evacuation a few years back, it was my pictures that we gathered in a box for safe keeping. It was the memories we wanted to cherish.  If the fire had eventually reached our home, we would still have the chance to howl with laughter at Tricia’s missing front teeth or Mary’s shoes and knocked knees.  Impending tragedies have a way  bringing back to the center what is important. 

Doyou have a list?  If you had fifteen minutes to leave your house, do you know what you would take w ith you?  Your animals, your birth certificates?  Would you rather let your marriage license burn?   

All kidding aside, it is time to have a plan.  Save your memories and what is most important to you now.  Take documents that are difficult to replace.  Take items that mean the most to you and have an easy method to gather them into a suitcase or box.  Be certain that your expensive jewelry, art, guns and collectables are insured on a floater policy with you can purchase by talking to your property and casualty agent.  Be ready. Be informed. 

You will be so glad you took the time to plan.