Willard Kitchener MacDonald spent much of his life living alone in the woods of Nova Scotia. He hunted, fished, trapped, and lived with very little. When he needed something he could not provide for himself, he went into town. At first glance, his story looks like complete self-reliance. But he was never completely alone. People from the surrounding community visited him, brought food, books, clothing, and supplies, tried to help as he grew older, and respected his choice to live differently. When he disappeared, more than 100 people eventually took part in searching for him. That is the part of his story that interests me. We can teach our families to grow food, preserve it, repair things, manage water, and handle more of life's ordinary problems ourselves. Those skills give a family options. But resilience is not about separating ourselves from everyone else. A strong family should be able to take care of more of its own needs while also being connected to people who notice when something changes, offer a hand when needed, and know they can call on us in return. MacDonald lived about as independently as a person could, yet even he benefited from community. Maybe family preparedness is not just about what we store or what we know how to do. It is also about the caring relationships we build around us. What is one skill your family could strengthen, and one relationship outside your household worth strengthening along with it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2eMqaNrqEQ&pp=ygUYVGhlIEhlcm1pdCBvZiBHdWxseSBMYWtl

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