Last night we were sitting around eating a nice gourmet Mother’s Day dinner of take-n-bake pizza, when I hiccuped and wound up choking on a bite of cheesy pizza.

This was a really bad time to find out that in a house full of people, not one of them was able to react quickly and perform the Heimlich Maneuver on me.

With the dexterity of a wounded, blind rhinocerous, I was able to use the edge of the kitchen counter to dislodge the food enough to cough it up. (I’m fine, by the way)

I once heard a comedian describe parenthood as “being on 24/7 suicide watch,” and that pretty accurately summarizes a parent’s role. Twice last week alone our son, Thing 2, choked pretty decently on food because he was trying to rush through dinner to go play. I’ve done my homework and I know what to do when someone is choking but when the person choking is yourself, your options are very limited.

If you’re reading this and you feel a little nagging feeling, that’s your brain trying to gently tell you that perhaps you should brush up on your basic CPR/First Aid.

Here are some resources that I hope you’ll (Yes, you there. I’m talking to YOU…) take a few minutes to read right now because the truth is, you never know when someone might need you to save their life.

• MayoClinic.com – Choking First Aid
• “Infant First Aid for Choking and CPR: An Illustrated Guide”
• American Red Cross First Aid, CPR & Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Courses
• First Aid for Children

When you know what to do in emergencies like this, you’ll be able to stay calm, act quickly and get the job done.