When a child is lost and then recovered, we should praise Jesus

All’s well that ends well, or so I have been told several times today! I am tired of hearing that but I won’t say I am because that would sure be a burr under the blanket around here. Sure, I was a little more unnerved than some folks would get over the whole deal but I would like to think my family would allow me to sweat and shake without being so rude.

Of course, you know we are all sheltered in the homes. That includes the big kids and the little kids and the young and old amongst us. I do believe we all understand that it is fine to go into your yard for fresh air and a little fun without being hovered over by the time you are 8 years old. That includes your yard being about a 10-acre plot of house, barns, lots and small pastures I refer to as traps, just like a postage stamp size yard, right?

My offspring on their mother’s side — I am not claiming some of them today — do not always pay attention to the questions put to them during times of stress or cooking. So, for instance, if a child wants to know if tadpoles are in the ditches along the highway, some might just nod or not say anything. I suspect making pies is pretty intricate work, but for goodness sakes!

This day will never be forgotten by me and, I hope, by the child that took off down the drive to the highway with a coffee can to catch tadpoles. She was sure she could see some wiggles and that meant little treasures to her, so she slid down the steep bank on her bottom and proceeded to try to find some tadpoles.

She was gone and now I was flagged down at the heifer pasture gate. The older male offspring was worried, the family was out looking for the child and now the thought of the high water in the ponds crossed my mind. My cousin drowned in the one close to their home when I was 12 and, suddenly, I was shaking.

I tried to count the heifers, but stopped and headed back to the house. By the time I got there, the face of my close relative was showing some distress and then the state trooper vehicle was seen coming down the drive. I do believe I was more terrified at that moment than I have ever been in my entire life! My face suddenly was dripping sweat and I couldn’t say anything although I tried to say something to my close relative.

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, when a child is lost and then recovered none the worse for the ordeal, but caked in mud, we should all immediately stop and praise Jesus for the wonderful joy of said child alive and well and returned. We couldn’t believe the dirty little figure that popped out of the trooper’s SUV smiling at us like a little angel. She caused such chaos and still didn’t find any tadpoles.

The end of the story is that she got lots of love and then got her bottom tanned for going to the highway! I was in terrible shape for a couple of hours and, no thanks to the heartless bunch around here, I am tired of hearing the ya ya ya and no one even offered to do evening chores!