In Case of Emergency

If you have never completed a will, do it now.  All responsible parents do.

I know you don't want to think about such things, but you really must.  For your kids.  For your relatives.  For everyone who loves you. 

Hubby and I put ours together long ago, and I didn't find it nearly as troublesome as the kids' school registration form.

A registration form asks you for two emergency contact numbers.   As far as I'm concerned, that is MUCH harder to decide.

Let's compare.

For both forms, you need someone who is willing to jump in front of a moving vehicle for your child.

And that, my friends, is where the similarities end.

On the other hand...

In a will:  You can put anyone down, no matter where she lives.
On a registration:  The person needs to live within a very small radius of school.

Will:  The chances of Hubby and I both going at the same time are extremely slim.
Registration:  The chances of one of my kids getting injured at recess are extremely high.

Will:  The named person doesn't need to know my daily movements all that well.
Registration:  The named person needs to know where to find Hubby or me at any given moment.

See, much harder.  Especially for someone who doesn't have a single relative within a two hour drive.

So get on that will.  Pronto.

Is it obvious that it is time to fill out school registration forms?

I nearly broke down last night trying to fill it out.

The first contact is a no-brainer.  There is one family with whom we frequently share childcare.  We've even helped each other out in more than one emergency.  And they attend the same church/school as us.

The second contact, on the other hand, has caused me way more trouble than it should.  Really.  What are the chances that the school will be unable to contact Hubby, either parent of the other family, or me?  And yet, I agonize.  Just in case.

We used to have another no-brainer.  Friends that we've known since Buttercup was 4 months old.  Friends that really became closer than family.  You can read about them here.  Sadly, they moved away a few years ago.

Since then, I have another best friend. (Wow, do I sound like I 4th grader or what?)  She has three kids, two of whom are the same ages as Giant and Cuckoo. 

It is her birthday today, and we had a lovely time celebrating it.

Why do I stress over the registration, then?

Because two weeks ago she told me that her husband is being transfered to Japan for three whole years.  My dear friend will be selling just about everything they own, packing up the rest, and moving to a foreign country 14 hours away.

So I cried.  Because once again I am going to be left without my friend. 

And she'll be 14 hours away from everyone she knows.

Who will she write down for her emergency contact people?

Her will was no trouble at all.