Today
Today was the day that the world as we know it almost came to an end and hell on earth began. Today was the day of the most terrifying, heart breaking, hysterical 30 minutes of my 33 years on this earth.
Today, I was sick and needed to go to bed when Nicholas took his nap. My brother came and got Patrick and took him to my parent's house. When Nicholas and I went to pick up Patrick around 4pm, I took Bentley with us. I knew Patrick would probably be playing with my parent's neighbor's kids and that Patrick might like to show off our new dog. The kids next door go to school with Patrick and so his mom and I were talking out front while the kids were playing. My biggest mistake was not having Bentley on a leash. I told Patrick to put him in my folk's backyard and I assumed he had done so. He also said he was going to get a drink. I supposed he was inside my parent's house or the neighbor's house. When his friends came out and Patrick was not with them, I was concerned, but not worried. Surely he was out back with Bentley. I went in to ask my parents if Patrick and Bentley were out back and when they said "no", my heart sank. I left Nicholas with them and got in my car and started driving around. They live right by Patrick's school and I figured I would see Patrick chasing Bentley in the school yard. That was not the case. Ok, I thought, they made it to the park next door. I was wrong again. Terror set in. I called my parents and told them to drive around with me. I passed a policeman on a bike and told him the situation. He took a desciption of Patrick and my cell phone number and called available patrols to be on the look out. From there, I drove around nearby neigborhoods imagining the absolute worst. What if a stranger offered to help and got Patrick into his car? We have talked to him about how bad people will use candy or puppies to lure children to their cars, but I had never thought of the chasing Bentley scenerio. Patrick would follow that dog anywhere. I imagined him chasing him into the apartments across the street from the school, where 3 known sex offenders live. I saw him running after Bentley across a busy street and being hit by a car. I pictured myself having to call my husband at work and tell him the worst news of his life. I was driving aroung pleading with God to save my son. Begging for His mercy. Hating myself for being so stupid. As a parent, I have never had to worry about Patrick wandering off. He has always been careful and cautious. He has always been extremely trustworthy and responsible. Obviously, I have become to comfortable. As I was driving around, still praying, hoping against hope...Russell called. They had found Patrick and Bentley in the alley behind my parent's house. Patrick had chased Bentley around the corner onto a major road where Bentley ran out into the street, almost got hit and came back to Patrick (thankfully, Patrick did not follow him into the street). Some walkers were coming along and Bentley ran to them and they helped Patrick get Bentley to my parent's gate. Russell had looked in the alley before he and my dad had started driving around. Patrick must have been on the sidewalk of the busy street at that point. In a blink of an eye, our lives could have horrifically changed forever. In the blink of an eye, my little boy was lost. In the blink of an eye, he was found, hugged tightly, never to be let go of again. Hold your precious ones close. They are gifts from God. I will sing a song of praise to God tomorrow at church for today and for the all the days of my life.
Today, I was sick and needed to go to bed when Nicholas took his nap. My brother came and got Patrick and took him to my parent's house. When Nicholas and I went to pick up Patrick around 4pm, I took Bentley with us. I knew Patrick would probably be playing with my parent's neighbor's kids and that Patrick might like to show off our new dog. The kids next door go to school with Patrick and so his mom and I were talking out front while the kids were playing. My biggest mistake was not having Bentley on a leash. I told Patrick to put him in my folk's backyard and I assumed he had done so. He also said he was going to get a drink. I supposed he was inside my parent's house or the neighbor's house. When his friends came out and Patrick was not with them, I was concerned, but not worried. Surely he was out back with Bentley. I went in to ask my parents if Patrick and Bentley were out back and when they said "no", my heart sank. I left Nicholas with them and got in my car and started driving around. They live right by Patrick's school and I figured I would see Patrick chasing Bentley in the school yard. That was not the case. Ok, I thought, they made it to the park next door. I was wrong again. Terror set in. I called my parents and told them to drive around with me. I passed a policeman on a bike and told him the situation. He took a desciption of Patrick and my cell phone number and called available patrols to be on the look out. From there, I drove around nearby neigborhoods imagining the absolute worst. What if a stranger offered to help and got Patrick into his car? We have talked to him about how bad people will use candy or puppies to lure children to their cars, but I had never thought of the chasing Bentley scenerio. Patrick would follow that dog anywhere. I imagined him chasing him into the apartments across the street from the school, where 3 known sex offenders live. I saw him running after Bentley across a busy street and being hit by a car. I pictured myself having to call my husband at work and tell him the worst news of his life. I was driving aroung pleading with God to save my son. Begging for His mercy. Hating myself for being so stupid. As a parent, I have never had to worry about Patrick wandering off. He has always been careful and cautious. He has always been extremely trustworthy and responsible. Obviously, I have become to comfortable. As I was driving around, still praying, hoping against hope...Russell called. They had found Patrick and Bentley in the alley behind my parent's house. Patrick had chased Bentley around the corner onto a major road where Bentley ran out into the street, almost got hit and came back to Patrick (thankfully, Patrick did not follow him into the street). Some walkers were coming along and Bentley ran to them and they helped Patrick get Bentley to my parent's gate. Russell had looked in the alley before he and my dad had started driving around. Patrick must have been on the sidewalk of the busy street at that point. In a blink of an eye, our lives could have horrifically changed forever. In the blink of an eye, my little boy was lost. In the blink of an eye, he was found, hugged tightly, never to be let go of again. Hold your precious ones close. They are gifts from God. I will sing a song of praise to God tomorrow at church for today and for the all the days of my life.
posted by Margaret K | 7:45 PM
2 Comments:
Oh my goodness! I hope you have some peace in your house this week. I will pray for that!
I am so sorry you had to go through all those feelings! Malaya has been lost 2 times from me and there is nothing in the world like that sinking feeling in your stomach. So glad everything was okay. Praise God!!
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