Give a Mom a Heart Attack!

I had brought Gabe with me to the church so I could do a couple things. Naturally, when I was ready to go home -- in fact, NEEDED to go home because it suddenly dawned on me that Logan was due home from summer school any minute and wouldn't know where we were -- Gabe wanted to stay and play in the "toy room." Well, some of the "church ladies" were there, getting ready for tomorrow's funeral, so they graciously agreed he could stay and play and they'd keep an eye on him. I said I'd come back soon to bring him home.

Soon after getting home, I got a phone call from a publisher wanting to offer me a video resource I might be able to use with groups at church. I was still on the phone with her when, all of a sudden, I heard the front door open and Gabriel's little voice: "Hi, Mom!" Glancing out the window and not seeing a car, I panicked and interrupted my conversation with the vendor to clamor: "Who brought you home??" "I brought MYSELF home!" he exclaimed.

As I said in the title, GIVE A MOM A HEART ATTACK!! Even after the fact! Even knowing he's safe and sound! I couldn't BELIEVE it! -- this 3-1/2 year old walked a whole block home, including CROSSING A STREET BY HIMSELF!!!!!!!!! AAAAGGGHHHH!!! Granted, Hendrum streets can see HOURS pass without one car going by, but STILL..... And it's not like we worry TOO much about our kids getting nabbed by a stranger, but good grief, it COULD happen!!

Well, of course, I promptly got off the phone and called the church to tell the ladies Gabe was safe and sound. They had gotten busy with their kitchen work, had not even heard him leave, and all of a sudden realized he wasn't there. Someone in the apartment building across the street had seen him walking home and recognized him -- I don't even know who, but there ya go -- that's the other good thing about a small town where "everybody knows everybody," or at least almost.

The vendor on the phone had heard it all -- Gabe's declaration of independence, my startled response of "Gabriel KAI!" -- and she said, "The angels were watching over him, weren't they? That's your miracle for today!" No kidding!

Of course we have now had a discussion about how his actions made the ladies scared and scared me too (he doesn't have to know how illogical it is for me to have felt scared AFTER the fact). Things aren't sinking in too well with him lately, however, so I have no confidence that he really "gets" it. It just tells me one more thing that I have to watch out for with him. Sheesh.