A friend sent me a text message just as I was going out the door for a trip to the store.

I replied: “Making a grocery run. Need anything?”

“No, but thank you,” came the reply. “Stay safe.”

Stay safe.

It’s been a long time since anyone has said those words to me, and it certainly wasn’t in the middle of summer when they did.

In winter when roads and walkways are covered in ice, yes, someone might warn about it.

Or when sudden fog rolls in, making it nearly impossible to even see the end of the car, yes, someone coming back from town might send a text message with a warning.

But in the middle of summer, with no icy roads and no fog, someone tells me to stay safe?

Still, those two little words have caused me to take stock of my safety. Here’s what I’ve done so far:

I’ve given my big ladder to a neighbor to keep from being tempted to paint the bathroom. The food in my pantry has been checked for expired dates. A grab bar has been installed in the shower and a small trip-hazard throw rug is gone. I have a shredder to deal with any old documents with personal information.

I still wear a mask when out in public (because yes, Covid really is still out there). I did a major decluttering and had many things hauled away (plus two carloads of donations to Goodwill), so there are fewer things in the house that could be considered clutter. The smoke detectors have new batteries.

I’m signed up at the rec center so I can use the indoor track. I have a pretty good (none are perfect) antivirus program on my computer.

So, I should be safe, right? How about you? Are there changes you need to consider?

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