In Rescue on the Oregon Trail, the First Aid box symbolizes Ranger’s special calling to be the first to provide aid. Despite his intelligence and desire to help people, Ranger can’t work as a search-and-rescue dog because his training instructor considers him too distraction-prone. This saddens Ranger because he feels called to use his skills and wants to be useful: “Ranger would never go chasing after a squirrel if a real, live person needed help” (13).

However, Ranger’s relationship with his work changes completely when he digs up an old First Aid box in his backyard. The magical box transports Ranger through time to mid-19th century Missouri, where his skills are sorely needed by the Abbott family and their friends. By ensuring that Ranger can use his skills to fulfill his destiny of working as a search-and-rescue dog, the First Aid box represents an important life calling.

Sam Abbott’s quilt squares symbolize remembrance. Sam carries these quilt pieces with him in his pocket to remind himself of his home farm in Missouri and the family he left behind there. As the story progresses, Sam becomes less homesick for Missouri and more invested in his current relationships. When he parts ways with Sarah, Sam gifts her a quilt square to remember him by: “Sam pulled the three quilt squares from his pocket and unfolded them.