Betsy's Blog

Yesterday I went to my parents house for the afternoon. My sister's son Ryan was there, as well as my other sister's son Michael. (Aidan adores Ryan and sees him often since they live next door to my parents)

Ryan age 14 asked to take Aidan out front to play. Nothing unusual. When 5-10 min passed and it was all too quiet, I went outside to check on the boys. They weren't out front. Nothing unusual. I went into my sister's house and called-Nothing. I proceeded to walk around the block, the next logical place for them to be-Nothing. I checked Susan's house again, then my parents house-Nothing. I told my parents, I could not find the boys and my father immediately got into the car and started driving around the neighborhood. I had Michael age 20 take the other way around the block, while I walked to the local park-Nothing. I ran into a neigbor of my parents who asked me why I was walking. I told her I could not find my nephew and son, and she exclaimed "Oh No!" in a horrified tone.

As I walked towards my parents house, I could feel the panic well up inside. I began to breathe heavily as I imagined the fate of my son and nephew-kidnapped, lost, picked up by a stranger with a gun. It was all fodder for my anxious imagination. It seemed like eternity that they were gone and I was so scared. I rounded the corner, hoping to see my sweet, blue eyed little guy-Nothing. Then, as I walked up to the house, my mother met me at the door and exclaimed "They found them!"

My father and older nephew Michael had loked down the longer block, the one I had not checked-and found the boys, walking merrily and obliviously along. Upon hearing my mothers message, then seeing the boys rund the corner, I immediately began sobbing with relief. Ryan, seeing my frantic tears felt terrible and appologized profusely for taking Aidan so far without telling me first, for upsetting me so much, and he told me he would never do it again. Aidan, who is not used to seeing me cry like that looked at me in amazement and said "You crying momma? You sad Momma?" and I just clutched him, explaining that I did not know where he was and was so worried about losing him. The knot in my stomach was there until we went to bed that night. God I love that little angel, and what I would do without him I do not know.