A Very Prepared Christmas

Preparedness has been a way of life, taught to me through example, by my parents and grandparents.  My grandparents were not a “preppers”—they were smart, hard-working farmers, who knew how to make the best of their resources—growing and canning their own food and being happy with what they had.

My parents followed that example and even though we lived in the city, we gardened, canned and worked hard to be self-reliant.  Our garage was full of shelves filled with food, water and paper goods.

When my father lost his job for a year, we hardly noticed any difference in our lifestyle because of the preparation that my parents had previously done.  There was, however, one thing that was different that year and that was our Christmas celebration—my parents decided to have a “food storage” Christmas.

While we all got a couple of “normal” gifts (toys, clothes, etc), the most memorable ones were the “food storage” ones.  Even to this day, I can remember the excitement when one of us received a #10 can full of delicious roasted almonds and the laughter when our brother unwrapped a case of toilet paper!

I must say, that as a child, I wasn’t sure how my friends would react when they asked me what I got for Christmas, and I replied with “A case of canned pineapple”, but many years later, when we talk of Christmases past, that Christmas comes up as one of the most fun and memorable.

As preparedness becomes a way of life, we find ways to incorporate it into all aspects of our lives—even Christmas!

A.L. CA

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