Taking a deep breath, sighing loudly, still sniffing…because in the last hour, I lost Bella. and found her.
I know she’s been feeling a little housebound, and when she dressed herself in summer capri’s, snow boots, and a fur coat, I giggled at her. Then she brought me my tennis shoes, and said “put these on”. And I watched her go out the front door, with Anastasia the monkey swaddled in the doll stroller. Guess at that point I was thinking “little strong-willed child”. So I put on my tennis shoes and stopped long enough to grab a coat from the front closet. She couldn’t be any farther than the end of the driveway. Right? No!!!
I walked out the front door, and no Bella. I called, and called walked down the street a bit, and was starting to become frantic. The City Utility men drove by in their truck, I asked if they had seen her. No. And soon they were looking too. I knocked on the neighbor to the west door. Came back to the house to check inside just once more. At that point, grammy was in melt down.
Fast forward 5 minutes of terror, and I decided to try the other neighbors doorknob, knowing that they had not been home for several days,but they had a little girl who Bella played with at times.
Doors unlocked, I open it and yell for Bella, and there they all stand. Bella has beelined it directly to the neighbor’s house and is playing. I tell you, I didn’t feel one moment of anger with her, like I remember with my own children when I was younger. Instead I felt total relief, and thankfulness for the men who jumped right in to help me search.
And now, an hour later. I’m feeling…well, like this Grammy gig can be exhausting…not just physically but emotionally…and like I need a vacation or at least a good nap!
49andcounting 