I had one of my scariest moments as a mother.
We took the kids into Philly for the car show. We’ve gone a few times before and its always a really fun day.
Minutes after this picture was taken, we were over in the Subaru section and I noticed Grace wasn’t there.
“Where’s Grace?” I asked, looking around, not really worried. She was probably with her dad or inside a car or something. But we didn’t see her with a quick look around the immediate area.
We searched that whole section…  she still was gone. My mom stayed where we were with the other kids and my husband and I searched in opposite directions.
5 minutes later, she was still gone.  (Oh, God. Please help us find her.)
10 minutes later, she was still gone. (Oh, God, please. Be with her. Find her. Please, please, please.)
I was in a blind panic. The huge EXIT sign right next to where we lost her was making me shakey. The door was right there.  Did she leave? Did someone take her?
I found security and reported her missing. They sent out a description of her. I was sitting in a chair in the security room, shaking uncontrollably and trying to breathe, praying desperately. (God, help us find her. God, help us. God, protect her. God, be with her. Oh, God, please.)
I tried to tweet out a desperate plea for prayer, but my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t type on my phone.
My husband was calling me every few minutes as he searched.
The guard asked for confirmation from all security personnel the exits that they had the description.
I heard a voice through the security walkie-talkie that someone was sweeping the men’s restrooms.
I almost threw up.  My mind was just screaming “Oh, God! Oh, God!” I couldn’t get past those words to anything more.
The security lady told  me to come with her to search the women’s rooms, probably to get me out of that office.
We were searching a restroom when she suddenly touched my shoulder…
“We have her.”

We went back to the security office to wait for her.

She walked around the corner with a security guard. Our eyes met and she ran to me, sobbing. Her little arms, squeezing around my neck, as she sobbed. She kept whispering, “I was so scared, Mom. I couldn’t find you.” Her little body was shaking. We just held on until we calmed down. She only let go when her daddy came in, so he could hug her.

They found her on the other side of the convention center. She had realized she was lost and walked until she found someone in a security uniform to ask for help. We had a call on our home phone when we got home – she had told the security guard her phone number and he called it on his cell phone to say he had her. If only we had checked! We would  have found her sooner.

I can’t believe how quickly it happened. We blinked and she vanished. It was completely innocent – she just got confused and was trying to remember what we taught her about being lost. We turned for a second and missed her wandering. The security people said it happens all the time. I can see why.

I am so thankful. I can’t even think about what could have happened. I’ve seen too much on the news lately about the dreadful things people do to children. Grace is having some anxiety still – she has been crying in her sleep is nervous about leaving us. Frankly, I’m nervous about letting her out of my sight as well.

Snuggle your little one. And teach them your cell phone number.