Speaking of Fear

Ok, so less than 2 hours after I posted my blog about True Fear....

I got home this afternoon, to meet Elizabeth as she got off of her bus after school. And the bus emptied with NO sign of her. I asked the Bus Driver who was not the usual driver, and she checked to see if there was anyone left on the bus fitting the description. Nope!

A 5/6 yr old's schedule when they're at school is kept pretty clockwork. Including arriving and departing. This way, they can independantly get from drop off to class, and then to pick up. What do they do when that clockwork is disrupted? They are just learning to understand and communicate who they are, who they belong to, where they are supposed to be, etc.

So, when a 5 yr old doesn't show up at pick up point.... where do you look? Did they get confused? Did they get taken? Did they decide to walk home when their normal mode of transportation failed? Did it fail because they didn't show up, or because someone who was suppose to be taking care of them dropped the ball?

We live in a "small" town. But which corner do you start looking at? Which side street do you go down? Which street do you you baricade?

I thought I was going to have heart failure. My WORST fear was a realization.

There just happened to be two other adults present at the time I realized my Daughter was missing. One, another Mom from my Ward. The other, a GR Police Officer. Whew! I immediately flagged the Officer down, told him the situation, and asked where to begin. Meanwhile, Brandis called the school and we began searching, speaking to Elizabeth's Teacher, etc.

It turns out that Elizabeth had missed her bus. She then attempted to board another bus. The driver of the bus called into the Transportation Office and let them know where she was and that her bus needed to make a return trip to pick her up. 15 min after the ordeal started, my 5 yr old was delivered safe and sound to me. Thank GOD! (And No, I do not mean that to take His name in vain.)

As soon as we had located her, the Officer and Brandis left. But what a Blessing they were. The Officer told me to call 911 if she didn't show up.

One thing that really stood out in the situation to me is the description of Elizabeth. She does NOT blend in. I was giving the Officer her description, and he said that he knew who she was. Brandis also mentioned how unique her appearance is... especially her hair. I am so glad she doesn't blend in. It gives me peace of mind to know that she could be easily spotted. :-)