What Could've Been...

a fun family day, turned into the most stressful day of our lives when we turned around and Hunter was not right next to us... then nowhere to be seen...

So let's back up... we walked over to the Fearnleaf Promotional Event held in a parking lot near our house. Tony knew the folks putting it on so the kids got their special passbooks and we got a bit of an orientation of what was on offer. The whole thing was about cows! And milk powder... but mostly COWS!!!

The event planners did a pretty good job of getting creative with the cow theme and we found ourselves looking at cows in many forms: balloons, cardboard, fabric, paper and this familiar cow we'd seen at the zoo during the Cow Parade back in March.

There were even a few live cows for the kids to see.

I guess this guy fits into the 'live' category, although I wouldn't suggest milking this one.

This was the milking station - where kids got to squeeze the udders (a glove filled with water) and 'milk' the cow.

After Hunter's go at the milking station, we re-grouped to get a snack. Tony was holding Helena, Hunter was next to the stroller and I was reaching around to get the food for all of us when Tony asked "Where's Hunter?" So of course we both went around the general area looking for the over-excitable little guy who was loving the cow motif. We both initially assumed he was just at the previous station or at the real cows just within 30 metres or at the ball activity station we'd been at a bit ago... but NO... he was not. Let's set the stage - this place is crowded with hundreds of Taiwanese parents and kids standing in lines for activities - it's at least 90+ degrees and we're on the corner of a main road... and Hunter was not in any of the closest places we'd expect (though we don't expect him to go without us). So now we're starting to get a bit nervous... we found a staff person and got her to help look for him. Tony started searching the perimeter while I was left to wait with Helena in the spot we'd last seen him in case he started coming back to find us. It felt like a movie - one of those moments in the movie when time stands still and the camera pans the crowd and there's the lone family with worried faces and heart beats you can hear! You better believe I was praying hard and out loud but I still felt helpless standing there waiting for my boy. The thoughts that run through your head at a moment like that are an indicator of how much TV you watch or newspapers you read... One of my friends called while a staff member was asking for my details and Hunter's details so they can call around - I had to hang up on her but texted her a minute later to tell her the situation and asked her to pray too. She said she & her husband stopped then and there to pray for us... well, thank God for the prayers of his people... I was about ready to send a mass prayer text when finally the event planners we'd met earlier walked a red faced boy over to me... I picked up my 17kg son and held his so tightly and started weeping (blubbering really) - I called Tony to let him know I had Hunter and I just couldn't let go of my little boy!!! Poor kid, he's never seen me looking like that before (I don't think I've ever felt like that before and I can genuinely say I don't want to again).

He had been "lost" for about 20 minutes!!! They found him on the opposite side of the parking lot near the cow carousel...

Of course, this shortened our stay... I didn't want to hassle with that again. But throughout the evening Tony and I couldn't help to think that this could've been a really tragic day had he not been found. And of course we are so thankful that God kept our boy safe and it really was just a case of him wandering away (you better believe you'll be seeing more of the monkey buddy harness in future entries), but what about all those parents around the world whose kids are taken or lost or worse? I couldn't help but say a prayer too for those who've really lost their kids and what a horrible feeling it must be. Oh Lord, please keep our children safe all the days of their lives and please help us to be wise in the way we interact with them and our surroundings!