Lost in an Instant

I heard a story the other day that got me thinking about things irreplaceable. A family making a cross country move hired a company to transport their items. There is nothing unusual about this decision, people hire moving companies every day. However, during the transport, a wheel blew out on the truck and the driver didn’t notice. The friction of the rubber against the other wheels started a fire, and this burned the back of the vehicle. All of their possessions contained therein were destroyed—family photo albums, important documents and, of course, their furniture. A lifetime worth of belongings were lost in an instant. This got me thinking about the approaching Hurricane Irene. We may not always know when or how disaster will strike. While we can’t control these types of events, we can assemble safeguards that will protect us in the chance of an emergency. One important defense is insurance. While mainstream in regard to homes and cars, this is often overlooked in terms of possessions. Even on something as commonplace as a move, insurance is paramount. However, if a relocation involves an item that is especially precious to you, (or you happen to be in the path of a major hurricane) it might be a good idea to move it yourself. This does not extinguish the possibility of fiasco, but I think it might give you more control over the outcome. Insurance will reimburse you the estimated cost for what has been lost, but it can’t replace a lifetime worth of memories.