I Can't Imagine.....

As many of you already know, this is Lexi, our youngest grandchild. Last night we had an experience with Lexi that shook me to the core.....

My niece, Christine, and her family were visiting from Wisconsin and we met them in Pigeon Forge for a pizza dinner with all the kids. After dinner Christine, hubby and her two kids wanted to go hit the go-kart track and invited Shelly, Trinity and Madison. Grandpa and I offered to take Lexi home because, let's face it, a go-kart track is no place for a two year-old. Also, if Shelly had to keep a close eye on Lexi, she wouldn't be able to enjoy herself with Trinity and Madison. 

There have been other times when Grandpa and I would go home ahead of time with Lexi because she was overtired and past her bedtime. She usually throws a fit when we take her from her mother and put her in the her carseat which has been moved to our car. But, last night it was more than just a fit. It was way beyond that.

All the way home (about 35 minutes) she sobbed, screamed, threw her arms up over her head and there was nothing that we could do to console her. She cried for mommy. She cried for daddy. She cried for 'Nita' (her godmother who she visits with quite often). Then she started to cry to 'go back, go back'. She would not listen to anything we tried to say to her....all that came out of her mouth was "NO". When we turned onto our road and she spotted our house and the swimming pool in the driveway, she immediately calmed down. No more screaming or crying.....just a very happy child. And she stayed that way until we put her to bed.

After she went to sleep, I thought about how she had acted and suddenly my arms got goosebumps. Did she think was being taken away and never to see her mother, daddy or sisters again? Yes, of course she knows us and we have taken care of her many times, but what was really going through her mind on this particular night? How does anybody know what is going through the mind of a two year-old?  What made her so scared.....this was not just being dramatic.....she was hysterical. 

Is this what goes through the minds of the children that are abducted off the streets, out of cars, and even out of their own homes? I mean Lexi was scared to death! I think about all those children and what they must go through when this might happen to them. When I realized that maybe Lexi was thinking she was being abducted, I wanted to cry. Cry for all those abducted children; going through an even worse terror than Lexi seemed to have gone through. It's terrible and unforgivable. Children, no matter what age they are, should NEVER have to feel that terrible fear.

When you see an Amber Alert, please......if it's in your area, keep you eyes open and call immediately if you see or suspect ANYTHING! Your phone call could save a child!

As for Lexi, I don't know for sure why she acted that way, but I'm not upset with her behavior in the back seat of our car last night. She had her reasons (I hope she was just being dramatic...it would be far better than her feeling the fear of being taken away) And, I was reminded even more how how precious our children and grandchildren are and they depend on us to keep them safe.

I love you.....Lexi!