A couple things that are quite sad, that prompted memories. I'll explain: Driving on the freeway today, there was an 'Amber Alert' posted on one of the big marquees at the side of the highway. It said "Kidnapped child. Austin Texas. Gray VW." It just made my heart sink. I immediately remembered Spring Break a couple years ago. On the first day of any extended holiday/vacation from school, I tell the kids that if we clean the house really good, then I will take them to Toys R Us to buy them a new toy that they can play with for the whole week/vacation and not fight with each other or say there is nothing to do, etc. (This does not apply to Christmas vacation when they get way too many gifts as it is.) So, we were at Toys R Us, (I had just four at the time), and we had made our rounds, everyone had chosen the magic toy that would make them an angel for five days. They had all been behaving beautifully; everyone was in a little line like my ducklings, when we rounded the corner out of electronics to go pay for our haul. I took a head count as I do about every 30 seconds when we are all out, and there was no Maren. You all know the feeling: the sinking feeling in your stomach, the million thoughts racing through your frantic brain.... I was very calm and turned to the store manager who for some lucky reason was right near me. I said "my three year old daughter is missing." He asked what she was wearing, and thankfully I remembered. Within seconds, there were employees at each door and an announcement on the loud speaker said; "We have a code Adam." Then the manager called for Maren over the loud speaker and said that her mom was looking for her. He was saying something else when Maren bopped around the corner not 20 feet from where we were standing with the Manager. Then relief. I didn't even get mad at her or anything (I vaguely remember a lecture on the way home, but relief was my first response.) It turned out to be no big deal, thankfully. I was so impressed with the quick response that Toys R Us had and the awesome action plan, but I just hate that feeling when you can't instantly see your little ducklings.
Okay, so back several years (okay decades) earlier when I was a little girl about the same age as Maren (6). Grandma Thomsen took me to Downtown LA to go to the big Robinson's department store. It was totally a treat because we went on the bus (it was my first trip on public transportation), and for some reason it was just Grandma and me -- no other brothers or sisters.
When we got downtown and went into the gigantic department store, we road the escalator and the elevator and went to every level and looked at a million wonderful things (I still have a fondness for department stores and wonderful things...) So, on the way out, I asked Grandma if I could go on the elevator and she on the escalator. She agreed and told me exactly which button to push and said she would be there when the doors opened (You could do things like this in the late 70's/early 80's). I pushed the button and when the doors opened... no Grandma. So, I got off and looked around, then got worried, then got lost, then finally found someone who worked there and told them I needed help. Very soon, I was reunited with Grandma -- she had said go down one floor, and I thought she said go down to the first floor. As scared and shaken up as I was nothing compared to the red rings around Grandma's eyes and the fearful look on her face. Poor Grandma. Now I for sure know how you felt.
To this day, if I go to the store with someone, I panic a little if we split up for any reason.
4 comments:
Aw that is scary and you are right, those sick feelings never leave, just lie dormant until the next reminder.
My mom lost both of my boys, two separate occasions, at the mall. She's never taken Q.
When Wells was an infant I had him in the carriage, but not buckled. He couldn't even roll over. I had the carriage at my side but was intently studying something on the shelf when I had the distinct impression I should buckle him in. Not a burning in my bosom but a loud yell in my ear. And not because he could fall out but because the voice said someone could lift him out of the carriage swift and silent without me noticing. It was such a real and fierce prompting it truly jolted me out of my thoughts. Who knows, over protective first time mom or prompting? Wells is still around, so that's good.
We lost Jack at the Mueseum of Science in Chicago one spring break. We were in an exhibit that traced the history of Video games. They had every game ever made and an old Centipede game caught my eye. It's the only game I am truly gifted at playing. I finally realized that I would never loose so I turned to let Jack play and he was gone.
My heart dropped like a Mushroom.
They closed the exhibit. An elderly guard told me not to worry,they had never had a 6 year old boy leave the exhibit unless he was dragged out by his mother.
I knew he was a man of great knowledge. We found Jack mesmerized by a game of Pong.
Seriously.
I know that horrible feeling, too...I lost Brian recently after a soccer game. I thought I was going to faint because I felt dizzy and nauseated while I was desperately searching for him.
I really love the pictures of the duckies in row. I wish my little ducks would line up like that!
I was lost twice. Once at Circus Circus in Reno and once in a department store in Pocatello Idaho. The time in Idaho, my parents had gotten back in the car and were on their way home to Montana!
I had my own horrifying scare on Friday that I'm not even going to blog about because it was too traumatic. But it involved police and I thought about Amber Alerts, and how scary they are and how devastating it would be to have a child so lost, that you had to ask people in their cars to help find them. Sad.
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