- March 19, 2008
- 11 Comments
- Family & Friends, General
That Peaceful, Easy Feeling…
Not so much.
I have felt pretty safe here in our new home. In July we will have lived here 2 years. We live outside the city limits, have 3-ish acres, and our dirt drive is over 2 football fields in length. It’s long and hilly. It takes some effort to make it to the top. It’s not an inviting trip.
I feel safe letting my kids play outside without constant adult supervision. Sometimes I worry about coyotes and stray dogs… possibly bears? But bumblebees have been our most formidable foe. We are pretty secluded, and I don’t really worry about stray vagabonds wandering way-up our remote private drive.
Until recently.
We’ve had 2 cars in the past 5 nights (that I know of, it could be more) drive up at night and drive right back down. I see the headlights shine through my windows onto my stair railing. They are gone before I can see who it is, but last night I saw the headlights shining on the trees as they headed back down the road. Another situation also has me feeling a bit vulnerable, but details will remain not-detailed in this matter. And then there was yesterday afternoon.
I think my son could have been abducted. My heart aches when I think of it. I always wait at the end of our road to pick up my son from the bus after school. He gets dropped off a block up, but I let him walk – it’s our compromise. I get so see him walk all the way from the drop-off to my car. He get’s some feeling of independence… and I get some feeling of “I’m protectin’ my baby”.
Yesterday, I sat waiting for the bus. Thank goodness I was on time. There has been a time or two when I’ve missed his hike to our road. As I sat yesterday I noticed a maroon-ish minivan stopped in the middle of the road – just beyond my drive. It appeared he was watching the kiddos get off the bus. I thought it was strange, but I tend to function at a high-level of paranoia. I remember thinking, “That’s weird… If that car comes back around, I’ll know something is up.”
My son took a bit longer to make his way down the road. I could hear him bantering with a classmate, and I watched him inspect puddles and shrubbery. I didn’t hurry him. He had important exploring to do. I love watching him get lost in his world.
Then I saw the van. My “Mommy Radar” kicked in. I saw the van slow down. Then the van stopped (STOPPED!) at MY BOY. MY KID. No he di’ent. You know I got OUT of my van. Then the suspicious van suddenly increased in speed. Then I bolted (barefoot, and in all my atrocious apparel) to the middle of the road to get the license number. And the van punched it. And I never got the license. Nor the van-type.
But I did talk to all the neighbors with kids at that stop. And I did file a report with the sheriff (we live outside the city limits). And I called the school. And I called the school district transportation department. And I didn’t get the rotten license number. But I do remember it was maroon-ish, late 90′s/early 2000′s model – and it’s windows were not tinted. The driver was a man. If you live around here, keep your eyes peeled… and listen to that little nudge.
I just need to add… I am so thankful to God I was there. It could have been one of those late days. Any day. Thank you, Jesus for letting me be there. Why that man never saw my van sitting there – I don’t know. I don’t want to be an alarmist, but I really do believe my child or someone else’s could have been at risk. While “that peaceful, easy feeling” is far off these days… it is only reflected in the world around me… I feel an overwhelming sense of protection from my Heavenly Father, and I just really need to express my gratefulness for that.
11 Responses to “That Peaceful, Easy Feeling…”
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This is a reminder that we should always listen to our parental gut.
So very scarey. I’ve had something like it happen and I know what you mean about not wanting to be an alarmist, but you have to go with your instinct. Glad you did.
You just gave me the chills that won’t go away. This is what freaks me out about moving to the country. We just had our homesite moved on our property in Oregon closer to the road becuase I did not want to be way the hell back there because it freaks me out. We will also put a gate up..can you gate your property? And the bus thing…thank god you were there…set like three alarms from now on and be 18 minutes early. Child abduction is one of my biggest fears as a parent, I don’t think I would ever get through it.
Mom always said, “Trust your gut. Even when it sounds paranoid and crazy, trust your gut.” That is quite possible the best advice I’ve ever been given.
Wow! Good thing you were there for J. I don’t even want to think of all the horrible things that could have happened. I think you did an excelent thing by warning everone about the incident. I don’t think you are being overprotectant at all! You can’t be overprotective in a situation like that. Give J (and yourself!) a hug from me!
oh Jenny – that is just too scary. Angels were watching out for your family today! Way to take action and report everything that you could!!!
Take care
Lisa
Oh my friend – sending you a big hug – I can’t imagine. Good job being proactive by sharing what happened!
You just gave me chills Jenny! That must have been so scary!!!
I pick up my boy just at the other side of his school field; he usually crosses the field with his best friend, but his pal’s been sick this week, so he’s been alone. He usually waits right in front of another friend’s house, but if he’s alone it freaks me out a bit.
There’s nothing like a mother’s intuition. good for you.
OK…. I am just PISSED!!! What the hell was that M@%$er F*&@er doing?!?! I was with you one time someone came up the drive. Maybe you should put a letter to the editor in the local paper. Or post up flyers all over about this maroon van. I will help. I’m so pissed. But thank you Jesus. But man I am SOOOOOO PISSED!
Jeeze Jenny – how scary for you! Thank God nothing happened, thank God for the timing! For His protection! Wow.
Oh my gosh, that is so freaking scary. I am glad you listened to your gut. The world really sucks nowadays doesn’t it? Maybe you guys could check into getting some sort of gate at the end of your drive to keep people out? That is really freaky! Unless people are reading your blog and are curious as to where you live? do you get a lot of visits from people in your city?
Just wanted to tell you that you are a wonderful mother and God had you there at that time for a reason. You may have stopped something from happening not only on your block but in your town but doing what you did and telling everyone you could think of about it!
I just started letting R – who is TEN mind you – go down the street about five houses away literally a month ago. So the compromise that you have with him is great. That’s a wonderful thing because I realize how hard it is to do as a mother.
We have had a couple of Amber alerts here in our area in the past like two weeks and it has enabled us to have long talks with the girls about what could happen whenever, wherever. J (the youngest, who is 7) ended up telling me that night after our longest discussion that she was scared to go outside in the dark. I said “good! you SHOULDN’T go outside alone, EVER!” It may sound mean to be frank with them and tell them like it is, but as I told my mom, I would rather them be scared to go outside alone ’till they are 12 than have them go out there ONE TIME and never see them again.