Hurricane season just officially started on June 1 and will end on November 30. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I have experienced a handful of tropical storms and hurricanes in my lifetime.
I have vivid memories of storm clouds rolling in, parents picking up their kids early at school to avoid flooding, and empty shelves in the grocery stores. Most families will begin stocking up on the necessities like water, hygiene essentials, and canned food at the start of the summer season. We have a toy poodle named Feather who also has a decent stock of air dried raw food and air dried chews such as smelt, hoki, shrimp, duck neck, and so much more.
Along with an emergency preparedness plan, we have candles, flashlights, blankets, clothing, food, and water for use only during a hurricane or tropical storm. Since our basics are more than adequately met, we prepared for fun during a hurricane as well. You download a season of a tv show or a couple of favorite movies to your devices just in case. You have large candles that can be used indoors or outdoors and have over 100 of total burn hours. You have your board games and arts and crafts materials ready to go in the hall closet for when the storm causes the electricity to come and go.
From flooding to tornadoes to a snow storm, we have lived through quite a few historical storms. In preparation for this hurricane season, I can’t help but think how humbling bad weather can be. Thankfully, our home has always been able to ride out the storm safely.
I live quite minimally in my life and choose to not own an excess of items. It’s fascinating how many will shop and shop and hoard and hoard until they realize what is actually important and necessary. Even when there is a real threat like an upcoming hurricane or a pandemic, it also does not make sense to empty the shelves in the grocery stores for others. Human behavior is so fascinating that way. We really go back to the basics of survival when forced to.
Intentionally is key when you are in survival mode, so why wait until you are forced to spend and live intentionally?
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