#MasterLockProtects Give Back All Year Long

DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post, written by me, on behalf of Master Lock. All opinions and experiences are my  own.

As a child, we look up to our parents to keep us safe, to keep us happy, fed, to protect us from harm, they are our heroes. Growing up, my Dad was all of these things for me, a hero, a protector and a person in my life I could depend on, but who does a hero turn to, when they need help?

About seven years ago, I got the call that no child wants to get; it was about my Dad. He was sick. He was very sick. At a routine Doctor appointment, he was told he needed to have emergency heart valve replacement surgery. They did the tests, ultrasounds and immediately scheduled the surgery for a few days away. We barely had time to worry, barely.

When we arrived at the hospital, the morning of surgery, my Mom and I were left in the waiting room to sit and ponder the outcome. This was a very delicate surgery that could have easily ended up being a tragedy. Several hours passed, several very quiet hours.

The surgery went as well as we could have hoped for, but there was a little more blood loss than they expected and he had to have a transfusion. Thanks to the kindness of strangers who had donated to the American Red Cross, my Dad is still here with us, to keep fighting another day, to see his grand-kids grow up, to go play golf with his buddies, to love my Mom and keep her safe.

Safety is a huge concern for me, since becoming a parent, myself. We use seat belts when we are in the car, we take vitamins to keep our immune systems in top notch shape, to keep us safe from nasty bugs and germs. We have safety latches, on the kitchen cabinets , to keep the little one out of the cleaning chemicals and we have deadbolt locks on our doors to keep out the "bad guys", even when the "bad guy" isn't really a bad guy after all.

About two months ago, I heard a commotion going on, around my back door. I live in a rather quiet, suburban area that is not known for being a high crime area, unless you count the wild animals vandalizing the trash. Not thinking much about it, I go look out the blinds, I mean, it's broad daylight outside, it's probably just the trash man, but it's not trash day, who could it be?!

I peek out the blinds to see a man standing at my door stoop, trying to open my door. He was fumbling with a key, trying to unlock my door. I stop him and ask, "What are you doing?!"
He looks confused to see me.
"Oh, hi." he says.
Yeah, "Oh, hi" my behind. "Can I help you?", I ask him.

Thinking he was at my neighbor's house, he rattles off the wrong address and says some crap about being the repairman and needing to get in to do some repairs... yeah, no! I own this house and if there were repairs to be done, I would have hired you, I assure you, you have the wrong address.

He finally accepts he is at the wrong house and leaves, but not before he proceeded to scare the crap out of me. After he left, I broke down and cried, then I called my husband. I explained to him what had just occurred and he promised to do a full check of every window and door lock, when he came home, just to be on the safe side.

While this wasn't a true threat, just a simple mistaken handy man, what if it weren't? Would he have been able to get in my house?!

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Master Lock has been keeping America safe since 1921 and has recently started a new initiative called "Master Lock Protects". To kick off the campaign, Master Lock is asking you to share a time in your life when safety and security have been most important to you, via Twitter.

For every tweet posted with the hashtag #MasterLockProtects a $1 donation will be made to the American Red Cross up to $10,000. The campaign will continue throughout the year with a series of safety tips and advice for every life stage and season.

“Each new life stage and season brings new adventures, excitement and memories. It also brings new safety and security considerations. From childhood, to marriage, homeownership, retirement and beyond, Master Lock is there to help protect consumers as their security needs evolve with these memorable life events,” said Rebecca Smith, vice president, marketing for Master Lock.

To get involved, you can check out the fun Twitter party scheduled for Tuesday, January 27th at 8 pm EST. For more details and to RSVP, check out Resourceful Mommy's post.