Preparing For A Storm

When you grew up, how did your parents prepare for a major storm like a hurricane? Did they buy batteries, flashlights, candles…etc? Well mine did too. But my mom also purchased food and plenty of it. I am not talking about the main staples that everyone rushes to the grocery store to buy: water, bread, and milk. If you did not get there early enough, those 3 items would be gone from the shelves for sure. If a storm was coming, my mom immediately thought of what her menu was going to be. She was famous for whipping up a pot of something, making a bread pudding, some collard greens…etc. Her motto is ” If you are going to be stuck in the house…you might as well have something good to eat!”

As many of you might know, a couple of hurriances are making their way up the East Coast. We were hit by Tropical Storm Hanna this weekend and IKE is on its way. On Friday, I called my mom and she had just come back from the grocery store. She asked me did I go shopping, I said no.. I have some food downstairs. She was like, umm you better get to the store and get you some food. I just giggled. But inside, I secretly wished I was in Virginia with her so that I could eat some of that good food she was going to cook. I asked her what did she buy, she said: corned beef, and potatos and cabbage…and some other stuff. It all sounded so good…but it still did not make me rush to the store to buy food.

When I woke up Saturday morning, and the storm was in progress here in MD, I decided to mosey on downstairs and check out the pantry. Oh no, we only had a 1/2 bottle of apple juice, a couple of eggs, hardly any snacks. I am going to be stuck in this house all day long with 4 kids and we don’t have the good stuff to eat. Then my mom calls me on the phone that morning as says: “What yall eating up there in MD? Your aunt called me and told me she is roasting and chicken and she made a pot of soup. And she sent you a message she said tell your daughter: “When my lights go out, I am going to be eating my chicken and soup and what are you going to be eating?”I can imagine that they were both laughing at me.

BMWK Family – Did your Mom cook big meals prior to a storm? If not, please share some of other tradition that you had growing up.

About the author

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and their latest documentary Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.

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