So, Tuesday, my eldest child decides to skip school for half the day. Not good, but not completely evil. (Been there, done that). He gets caught, he gets grounded, there is much discussion. Fine. Then on Wednesday, he decides to skip the whole day and to pack enough stuff to be gone for at least three days. Not so good. I knew just from how he'd acted the night before that he would...just no idea how to prove it in advance much less stop him. At any rate, on advice from my mother, I went to the local law enforcement and listed him missing as a runaway. Then began the long day of worry, driving, and being nasty to his friends who happened to not be in school. Also talking for hours on my cell phone to Grasshopper and my Mom.
He didn't get far. He did manage to stay out of sight until nearly 2:30 in the afternoon, however. He got popped because of his pants. That's right, his pants. I gave a fairly decent description of him to the nice officer, including these weird pants the boys are fascinated with. In this one's case, black with this glow-under-a-black-light green stitching in it with all these bizarrely located pockets and these straps that attach at various places along the sides or front and back...usually with the straps going between the legs...thank goddess they are long straps or he'd be a eunich. The other boy's came with handcuffs that hang from chains. Four pair to be exact. I don't understand, but my mom didn't understand my clothing choices either. But, yes, these pants happened to catch the officer's eye as he drove past him. So he hollered at him and my son actually answered him. That's all it took, he got a ride to the police station. Thank god! I have never been so scared, so worried, so angry, or so lost in my entire life. Not even when they told me that he may have leukemia when he was 5. He didn't, another blessing, but even that didn't scare me so much. At least with that, there was a chance he didn't and he was with me. I could do things to help him. When he just up and disappears? Oh god, I hope no one ever has to go through that. And I was lucky. He didn't get far and he came home. He's still here. He wouldn't let me hug him and I was too thankful to strangle him. Too many parents out there don't get that opportunity (to hug or to suppress the urge to strangle): too many kids don't come home...ever. I have been given a great gift...again. And I'm so grateful I did.
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