It was after Cade's baseball game last evening. I was responsible for providing snack for his team, so I was dutifully standing at the table handing out hot dogs and juice boxes (yeah, I call that dinner!). She was hanging out next to me wanting a juice box too for the longest time.
And then she was gone. I stood scanning the crowd, for it had suddenly become crowded around the table with all of the parents and the kids from other teams as their games finished as well. I could not spot her.
So I grabbed my bag and started frantically searching through the crowd. Another mom who has become a friend asked what was wrong, and when I told her that Elsa was missing, she quickly joined in looking for her. The coaches and their wives began looking as well and assured me that they would find her.
In the past I've been pretty calm in an emergency. I guess I tend to go into auto-mode or something. But this was different. My heart squeezed tight, and my emotions were spinning into a panic.
She wasn't in the bathroom. She wasn't playing with any of her little friends. She wasn't hiding under the picnic table. Around and around we looked, and the tears were threatening to roll over.
And then suddenly, I spotted her around the other side of a building, climbing on the support columns.
Well, I couldn't run, although I wanted to. But I couldn't hold back the tears anymore either. They spilled over as I reached her and took her in my arms. She didn't understand why I was crying or what was wrong...couldn't even understand why she shouldn't go off to play by herself.
I parked her at the table and gave her a hot dog and juice box. She stayed put then. I think next week when it's my snack-time, I'll have to start off by giving her a hot dog and juice box! Maybe then she'll stay put.
I had to walk away to throw out the trash then, and I sternly told her not to move from the table. Our somewhat gruff coach assured me he had his eyes on her.
What a heart-wrenching experience! I know I'm not the only one ever to lose track of a child, but I sure hope I never go through that again. It's one thing when it happens at church where I mostly know and trust the other people. But when it's at the baseball field...and there are lots of people I don't know at all...it's just scarier. Now I'm feeling rather wary of adding another child to my responsibilities. At least #4 won't be able to go far on her own for a while yet!
This girl...looks so innocent here (this was last Saturday at the game)...but, boy, can she stir up the mischief!
To top off the night, when we got home she was walking around the backyard (wearing rainboots, so she couldn't run), and a woman walking - on a posted golf-cart path that abuts the yard - came by with her big dog which wasn't on a leash. The dog immediately bounded into the yard up to Elsa scaring her half to death. She wanted to run to us on the deck, but her boots didn't allow it. And she was frozen in fear anyway.
We told her to be still and tried to get to her without stirring up the dog any more while the owner just kept on walking slowly by calling the dog to her. She finally got the dog's collar, and I got to Elsa who was crying hysterically.
Can you say "furious"? I sure was. But I kept my mouth shut and didn't lambast her like I wanted to. She was walking on a posted path - and she does so regularly because we've seen her before. (I'm pretty sure it's her dog that was prancing around on our deck one evening a month or so ago while we were inside eating dinner.) And she had her dog off of his leash which is against the law here (when she's not on her own private property). She let him run into our yard and scared the snot out of a three-year old little girl and then walked on without an apology or any concern for the child.
So this morning, I'm feeling thankful that my little girl is safe and sound. Thankful for God's protection over her even in the moments that I can't protect her like I want to. Thankful that He cares for her and loves her even more than I do.
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