At the time of writing this, I had just heard about the little girl Chloe who is missing from her Queensland home and I couldn’t help but think how devastated her family must be. A missing child always sends shivers up your spine. I am so glad she has since been returned to her family and is safe and sound. The feeling of losing your child (albeit temporarily) is something I know all too well…
Over the years with five children to bring up, we have had the missing child happen on a few occasions. The feeling of emptiness and fear is indescribable. Usually they have just wandered out of sight and are recaptured quickly and all is well. I remember on one occasion when we lived on the farm. A fence enclosed the house with a latch gate. I was 8 months pregnant with fourth child and at home with my then fourteen month old. Just a toddler, but fast. She and the dog were merrily playing in the yard when suddenly I looked out and she was gone. The gate stood open and she was gone. She had dragged the old milking bucket to the gate and climbed atop, reached through and unlatched the catch. Devious aren’t they?
Our farm was quite isolated, a creek running through near the house, paddocks and gullies and two dams, neighbours a distance away. The fear and terror that engulfed me was paralysing. As I was heavily pregnant I was barely stumbling along. I ran to the creek calling her name, then stumbled across the paddocks towards the dam, all the time thinking the worst, my voice hoarse from screaming. I stopped short and thought..the dog is with her. I ran about calling our big German Shepherd Rex over and over. Then, there came Rex, bounding out of the gully close to the dam with a little blonde head and yellow nightie at his heels, big smile on her face and covered in grass seed and mud.
What do you do? Relief and joy flooded me; I enfolded her in my arms and cried. Carried her home and secured the gate properly and fed Rex the best tidbits I could muster.
Another time, when that baby I was carrying was about five, hubby and I lost her in a big shopping centre. I bet most parents go through this one. He thought she was with me and I thought she was with him, only realising she was missing when we finally met up. Panic stations, frantic call “missing child” over the centre address system. No sign of her. Don’t know what made me think of the car. Back then I hadn’t locked the car, sure enough; there she was, waiting patiently in the car for us. “I knew you would find me here” she said.
I bet many of you have these happy ending tales to tell.
I am so glad that little Chloe has been found. There is nothing worse than the feeling of not knowing where your child is… Trust me, I know!
Have you ever lost your child? How did you find them again? Tell us your story in the comments below…