“Motherhood is the scariest hood you’ll ever go through!”
We’ve all been there. No matter what we do or how strict we are. No matter how cautious and careful. It only takes a second to look away and your child is gone. I know I’m not alone when I say that those moments (and we all know there are multiples!) are some of the worst mom moments we ever go through.
This happened to me recently. Two days ago, I was at my son’s school with both my kiddos scheduling the upcoming parent-teacher conference with Oliver’s teacher. We were heading down the hall to leave and Abigail runs ahead. I know she can’t push the front doors open, so I’m not really worried. I hear someone talk to her as I round the corner and I see an older girl holding the door open as my little one is running across the sidewalk and into the parking lot!
My heart is now in my throat! The flashes in my head are of pure terror!
I let go of Oliver’s hand and run out the door, yelling at her to come back. She whips around and runs toward me. It’s all I can do not to yell at her. With my heart thumping, I force myself to breathe, and I calmly explain to her that she can’t be running off without me, especially in parking lots (she already knows about roads). Then I begin to feel relief as I hold her. My baby is okay. That’s the only thing that matters within that moment.
You can call me careless. You can say that I should have made sure she was walking with us. You can even tell me that I should have been holding her hand, too. Well, ladies, I know all these things. I make my kids hold my hand while crossing streets and parking lots. I make my kids hold my hand in the grocery stores. I make my kids hold my hand while walking ANYWHERE in public. I know the risks. I know that creeps are EVERYWHERE. And that, my dear mamas, is my greatest fear in this world. Someone taking my children and harming them with myself helpless to stop it.
I do EVERYTHING in my power to make sure this will never happen. I talk to them about strangers. I talk to them about not straying from my sight. They know. They’re also quite young, still. Therefore, I continue to have these discussions with them often. It’s all we can do to keep our babies safe, right? Keep them, and ourselves, fully aware.
Feel free to share your thoughts and your own stories. What was the most fearful mom moment you’ve had to endure thus far?
(This is a post from my previous mom blog. Originally posted: October 16, 2021.)
