We experienced a very scary moment while the kids were playing in the sprinklers. You know the look parents get on their face when they can't find something? Are you familiar with that look when it is their child they cannot find? We were enjoying watching the kids play, but we were a little anxious the whole time, as the area is fairly large and we didn't want the kids out of our sight for even a second. We had given them strict parameters to play in, yet we still found ourselves on edge in such an uncontrollable environment. This is not necessarily an area known for crime or problems, but there are several homeless people that spend their days down there and we just wanted to be on "our game". As I was doing my 162,402nd check on the kids (they were literally 5 feet from where we were sitting, but I was playing the part of over-protective mother that day) I looked up and saw a woman with that look. You know the one, like you have lost something. Only, it was obvious that she wasn't searching for her cell phone or car keys. I just knew instantly that a child was missing and something in my gut started doing backflips. I watched her a few minutes more (just to be sure I wasn't be delusional) and then pointed her out to Jason. He agreed and we decided she was trying very hard not to make a scene or draw attention to herself. She made her way over to the side of the park we were on and I told Jason to keep a VERY close eye on the kids while I see what's going on. She was on her cell phone at this point and it was obvious she was talking to the authorities. An older gentleman (who was at the park with his granddaughters that day) and I stood next to her listening to the description of the missing child. 6 years old (yikes! I could only think of my 5 year old Jaxon). Girl. Blond hair. Wearing a black Gymboree swimsuit with colorful flowers on it. Pink flip flops. From out of town and unfamiliar with this area. Autistic. And my stomach officially fell to my knees. At last count, I have five friends who have a child diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. One friend, a sorority sister from college, talks about her fearless child with Autism whom she fears will walk right out of the house one night while they are sleeping. I know it is not uncommon for some kids on the spectrum to wander without fear and I knew this little girl could be anywhere at this point. The mother continued to talk with the authorities on the phone and the grandpa and I wasted no time. I told him I would stick around that area and start climbing in the tunnels, climbing the rocks/cliffs and move west. He said he would head west and eventually make his way toward me. When I started searching, I had an adrenaline in my body that took over, giving me the confidence that we would find this little girl. As the number of tunnels and slides grew less, my fears started taking over. I felt like everyone was watching me and I didn't want it to look obvious what I was doing, in case one of the onlookers couldn't be trusted. I started praying before I rounded every corner. Jason made eye contact with me from his position at the sprinkler park and he gave me the "how's it going" look. I finished my area and then ran to Jason in a near panic. He put me on sprinkler park duty and he headed east.
Within a few minutes, I noticed several families starting to pack up and leave and I turned around to see 8, maybe 10 police officers at the top of the hill. They quickly found the mother and started to discuss their game plan. As they huddled together I looked behind them and saw the grandpa, who had been searching with me earlier, walking hand in hand with a blond girl wearing a black swim suit with flowers and pink flip flops. I started yelling to get the mother's attention, "Ma'am! Ma'am!", but no sound was coming out. I finally started waving my arms like a crazy person and pointing, she looked over the officers' shoulders to see this good Samaritan safely returning her precious girl to her. I have never experienced something quite that scary. My husband might argue that with me, because I have been in some very scary moments, but none of them involved small children. I really put myself in this mother's shoes and felt so many anxious moments that I hope I never experience again. So grateful that this story had a happy ending, because I know that is not always the case.
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