Gift of safety: one size fits all Published Feb. 17, 2011 By Mark Sprayberry 72nd Air Base Wing Safety Office TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Give the Gift of Safety, Give the Gift of Life. So that may be the corniest line I have ever come up with for a safety article, which is saying a lot, but the truth remains: giving our loved ones gifts that keep them safe may keep them in our arms. While I am sure that any man giving his wife a safety kit for her car will be on the same terms as a man that gives his special person a vacuum cleaner, they are great gifts for all those other special people in our lives. If you have elderly parents, there are a host of gifts to be given that show them you care about their wellbeing. Some ideas are a home first aid kit, extended reach grabber or a pay-as-you-go phone. A really good idea is to give the gift of help to an elderly loved one. Check in the area where your loved one lives and see if they have services to come help around the house providing things such as spring cleaning or yard services. Oftentimes local church youth groups will perform some of these activities for fundraising opportunities. If you have a teenage dependent, some good gifts to give include cell phone service, proper maintenance on vehicles and CPR First Aid training. The cell phone service can be basic voice service to call if in trouble, all the way up to complete data plans giving the dear one access to weather or maps to plan routes or to help them when lost. Another great gift is "helping" them plan the maintenance on their car. In Oklahoma especially, we rely on cars to get from point A to point B. Keeping those cars well maintained keeps them safe and on time. The last gift I think is necessary for all teenagers is CPR First Aid training. This gives them a sense of confidence and a set of skills to help them in the first few minutes of a bad situation. As a great bonding experience, parents and children attending CPR First Aid training together can't be beat. For your spouse, the long and the short of it is, give the good stuff first. I once gave my wife an oil change for Valentine's Day. While I cannot say that she hit me, when I woke up I realized it might not have been the best gift. They say love is not built on one day, or one act, but a constant kindling that shows our significant others that their happiness and wellbeing is one of our primary concerns. I think that few things say that better than to give them the skills and resources necessary to face this sometimes unforgiving world.