Life is rife with challenge. The nor'easter on Saturday reduced my neighborhood to blocks of splintered trees and heaps of snow-laden foliage, now adorning power lines, roadways and roofs. Power has been absent since mid-afternoon and the word is it will be a week until it is restored. Heavy wet snow, 50 mph wind gusts and no electricity is not a great formula for a happy day. The utility companies around the state have alerted residents that they can expect resumption of power any time from three days to two weeks. The News reports over 3 million left cold and powerless. If nothing else, Halloween revelers have been dealt a full plate of trick. It's not tragic, but it is uncomfortable and, to say the least, inconvenient.
Hardware stores are doing record business-generators have long since left the shelves, along with batteries, shovels, snow-melt and scrapers. There's nothing to do but take a deep breath and assess your current situation and think about whether you've learned anything from the last weather-related challenge (did anyone say Irene?).
These life challenges are yet another reminder of the importance of planning; not just for these scattered and inevitable emergencies but for life and the inevitable transitions we all face. While you might be focused on batteries for your flashlight or the non-electric can opener, you might begin to consider your level of financial security. Here are a few items to think about:
Do you have sufficient emergency resources in the event of unexpected needs? You might be thinking about having enough to buy a back-up generator, an extended stay in a hotel in case of displacement or how much you need to replace a roof. What about sufficient resources to cover your expenses in case you lose your job?
Does your current insurance policies cover you appropriately? You might be wondering if your homeowners' policy will properly cover your losses. But what about other aspects of risk management, including life and disability insurance to protect your income or your family?
Have you considered that with power out everywhere, whether you have enough ready cash in case the ATM's are down? Considering short term needs is vital, especially in light of emergency situations; having cash, prescriptions, food, water and a safe place needs to be considered and provided for. But what about long term thinking as well; have you considered the challenges of the next stage in your life and what you need to be prepared for? Whether you will be sending children off to college or marching forward into retirement, prudent planning is essential.
We will never be without challenges; some we can plan for, others we hope we are up to the task. Our attitude plays a major role in our ability to cope with the obstacles placed before us. Writing this in an unheated house, while I still have daylight has been an experience-one I would rather not have, but I can celebrate the fact that I am alive and well and no one has been injured and no trees have been lodged through my roof. I am considering what I could have done differently should this happen again; but I am also thinking about other challenges that lie ahead. Those I can readily expect, such as retirement, aging, maybe grandchildren all mixed in an ever changing world. The only thing I can control is how I deal with the situations at hand. I can gripe-I can complain-or I can prepare as best as I can and find the positives.
The choice is ours to make; dealing with emergencies, change in life situations, or normal expected life transitions. Our positive attitude is the first line of defense. Smile-spring is only five short months away!
