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Always Be Aware
by Dawn E. Jones
Always Be Aware is published in Women
in Journey: God, Please Help Me Through
the Wilderness!
No part of this story may be copied or reproduced
without permission from the publisher. Copyright © 2008 by InsSpire, an imprint of DemmeHouse, Inc.
Writer's Bio:
Tennessee Native Dawn E. Jones is a former elementary school teacher, wife, and mother of one daughter. Dawn is currently a stay-at-home mom and expecting her second child.
EVERYONE IS GOING TO GO THROUGH AN EXPERIENCE IN LIFE, probably several, that will test your character, your beliefs, and your faith. When life hands you lemons, and sometimes rotten lemons, you might wonder how on earth will you make anything sweet again. How will you maintain some sense of sanity, how will life ever get back to normal, and when will the “What ifs?” stop playing across your mind like the crawl on a news station? With 82% of the world population believing in a Higher power (over 33% being Christian), people generally turn to their religion to help them get through their pain. There is no doubt in my mind that seeking God helps in moments of great sadness. Turning to loved ones, therapists, and even your own self (i.e. journaling) also helps in trying times.
What do you think is the worst thing that could happen to a parent? More than likely, your answer is ‘the death of a child’, and you would be absolutely right. I am certain that even those who are not parents would agree. But there is something even worse than the death of a child, and that is when a parent or guardian accidentally causes the death of a child.
The husband of my best friend’s niece took his 3-year old son to daycare, and then he was to drop off his 18-month old daughter at daycare. Then sometime in the late afternoon hours, his wife picked up their son and she proceeded to pick up their daughter. But when she arrived, the daughter was not there. When she got home with their 3-year old son, she asked her husband where the little girl was, thinking she’d been home with him all day.
That was the moment they both realized that the little girl was still in the family’s truck. When they went outside, they found the baby girl’s body, took her back in the house, and attempted to give her CPR. The little girl was already deceased when the police and the ambulance arrived. In fact, she died long before the mother found her. She died of hyperthermia. That day, the temperature was 88 degrees with a heat index in the 90s, and the truck’s windows were completely closed.
There is no penalty in Michigan, where this tragedy occurred, for leaving a child unattended in a car. However, in 14 other states, the father would have been charged with a felony.
My friend and I have talked about this horrible tragedy over and over, and that has helped to ease the pain. It has also helped to discuss this with my mother; she lost her firstborn son Troy to cancer, at the age of three. My mother says even now, almost 39 years after Troy’s death, that some days are better than others. The loss of a child is inconceivable no matter the cause, and I’ve often wondered how my mother and father got through it and managed to stay together and continue to have other children. Her answer is God and family.
While thinking about all of this, I thought about the story of Jesus. He was left in a temple in Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. Both Joseph and Mary thought He was with them, and they traveled a whole day before they realized that He had been left behind. You see, even the Holy Family made assumptions that could have ended in disaster and changed the world as we know it. They were human like us. They could not find Jesus for three whole days, and I don’t think anyone would accuse Joseph or Mary of being negligent or believe they deserved more punishment than the worry they felt. Knowing that Mary could lose the Son of God might actually bring peace to those whose hearts are heavy with this kind of burden.
Now that some time has passed since this tragedy occurred, I have begun to raise awareness to prevent parents from leaving their children unsupervised. Isn’t that what many people do when they have been through some type of tragedy? Just like people who start cancer foundations when they have gone through cancer them-selves? I’m not sure what I can do exactly, but I’ve started by spreading the word to parents I know and giving them the information I have found. I have prayed daily that I never get too distracted and forget my children. In this day and age of great distractions (e.g. cell phones, job stress, financial difficulties, etc.) anything can happen. One thing that has truly helped me to gain peace of mind is hugging and kissing my 2-year old daughter. It encourages me to be mindful of her and what she is doing but never forgetting that while she is God-given, she is not invulnerable; it can happen to anyone.
For more info on the laws in your state regarding children in cars, please visit kidsandcars.org. / Statistical Source: wikipedia.org
Life Stories for Every Woman
