Losing a child at an amusement park..

This was written so many years ago but I know we have all had our moments of panic. Moments where we stop breathing , the world moves in slow motion and fear consumes us. Where losing a child goes from a nightmare to reality...

Week 23~ My kid and me. His goofy laugh <3


A week before daddy kisses Dub goodbye and says "stay close to mom today" Mom opens one eye and demands to know why he should stay close. Dad tells mom he had a dream that he was lost and we couldn't find him.
Today the family went to Lego Land with Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Z. 
Everyone is having a great day. The 9 of us are walking down a path,laughing,talking and having a great time. 
Mom looks around and realizes Dub is nowhere in sight. Mom yells out "where's Dub?" everyone looks around. Mom goes running back up the hill yelling"Dub,DUB" tears sting her eyes, fear filling her body. She didn't even think, she let go of the stroller with T in it knowing someone would grab it.  Stops to ask person after person if they've seen a boy wearing a blue shirt and camo shorts. Nobody had and mom continues up the hill screaming. She comes around the corner to see Dub standing there with three security gaurds and a bunch of on lookers and she hears "there she is" her whole body consumed with emotions. She picked up her little boy, hugging him tight and telling him how sory she was for letting him get lost.
Dad was right behind mom this whole time but with a calmer sense about him. His dream he had last week had him going up a hill very similar to this and he knew Dub would be at the top, safe.
Mom is still recovering and tears are still stinging her eyes at the thought of what could of happened.


And now, he's the child that would never think to wander off in a huge crowd...yes, he's 10 now and I still remember this day so clearly. Hold your kids tight.

I also think about how I could have kept him safer. Made him hold someone's hand. Write a cell number in sharpie in his arm, this is what my mother in law did with our boys last summer. They went to Disneyland and she said it was so crowded she was worried they could get separated easily.

Comments

benbidder said…
Oh goodness... Lauren got lost at the Phx Zoo once. It was awful. I couldn't imagine somewhere busy like where you were!!
a happier girl said…
I lost my six year old for like three minutes in a huge waterpark. I practically had a panic attack and could feel my heart rate building and building like my chest was going to explode or something.