The fury of Mother Nature

After Hurricane Katrina blew over the Gulf, I started asking myself this question: If I had, say, 10 minutes to leave my house and take with me whatever I wanted, what would I take with me? What are my most prized possessions? This, of course, ensuring that my family was already safe.

I would take pictures. I've always loved photography and I love to take pictures (my husband used to tell me that I should just wear the camera around my neck all day) and it's important to me to have a record of our lives. So, I would take pictures. I even thought about how I would get all those photo albums out of my house because they can be pretty heavy and cumbersome, you know. I would put them in every suitcase I can find. And I frequently back up my digitals on CD, so I would make sure to grab those, too.

Grabbing all those albums crossed my mind on Sunday afternoon as I stood in the living room with the baby strapped into The Ultimate Baby Wrap, and the big kids standing in front of the door hanging on to a teddy bear and a baby doll. With a super cell and possible tornado bearing down on us in our 120-year-old house, we figured the brick and cinderblock fire station across the street was a better hide out.

As my husband grabbed a battery-powered radio, a flashlight and his firefighting gear (in case the house blew away and he was called to help), I stood there clutching my purse, my diabetes supplies, and a diaper bag with one change of clothes for the baby and enough diapers to maybe get us through the night (in case the house blew away). I momentarily thought WAIT! I want those photo albums. But we walked out the door with all that was really important to us and I quietly mourned for a loss yet to come.

We and the house are fine, by the way. But some other folks in our area weren't so lucky.

What would you take with you?