Oh What Great Lessons We Learn...

I had just hung up from talking to my cousin Cathleen when my other phone rang. Looking at the caller ID I immeadiately recognized the number as my son's elementary school. I glanced at the time as I said hello and realized that it was almost 3:30 and my son should have been on the bus.

This little sad and pitiful voice squeaked out "Mom, it's me."

My mom instinct kicked in and I was on full alert. After all my son should have been on the bus.

"Hi honey are you okay?" I asked.

And that's all it took the sound of a familiar voice. A safe voice. The voice of mom. -- The flood gates opened and all I could hear was the sound of loud sobs coming from the receiver.

I shifted into fix it mode and quietly assured him he was okay -- I asked him if he was hurt or sick. "No, no, it wasn't that" was his reply.

"Then tell Mom what's wrong" I asked gently, realizing this kid was really upset.

"I missssed the bussss" he sobbed. "And I'mmm reallly really scared."

Exhaling I grabbed my purse, keys, and cell phone, and stepped into my crocs and said "Honey hang tight I am on my way." He replied with something I couldn't understand and gave the phone to the school secretary. I shared with her that my son is the biggest rule follower ever, and him missing the bus is a catastrophe in his book and to please give him a cold glass of water and reassure him I will be there in two shakes.

The secretary was incredibly kind -- and said she'd take good care of him and she'd see me in a few minutes.

So off I went to collect my little lost cub.

When I arrived at the school I quickly made my way to office and before I could get through the door my son who doesn't show much affection in public had met me at the door and flung his arms around me as he sobbed into my neck.

"Mom I didn't think I'd see you again, I was so scared." He said in a voice just above a whisper as he gulped down his sobs.

I sat with him on the bench as both secretaries looked on -- I was oblivious to everyone around me -- this was my child and he was a wreck.

We talked for a few minutes, and I thanked the secretaries for taking care of my son, and I suggested we go home. My son aggreed and said thank you to the secretaries and placed a death grip on my hand and didn't let go all the way to the parking lot.

Poor kid was that scared.

On the way home I asked him to walk me through what happened not leaving out a single detail -- he painstakingly described everything from the part about the bus being late, and that the playground duty aid telling them it was okay to go play on the playground, and she would blow her whistle when it was time to line up, to the little boy who fell and hurt his knee, to the fact that my son saw his bus pull up and that he chose to continue to play and then turned around and watched his bus leave the drive way and turn left realizing he was the only one on the playground.

That's when his panic set in.

I asked him what he thought me might do differently next time -- I didn't even have the chance to get those words out as he blurted "I am never missing my bus again, I will always make it to my bus on time Mom! I swear!"

You know that poor kid continued to cry on and off for the rest of the evening, and even laid down after dinner. The experience totally knocked the wind out of him.

As I relayed what happened to my husband we both chuckled because we know our son very well, and as my cousin describes him -- "He's so sweet you just want to dunk him in milk and eat him" his poor little spirit took a battering today.

I can remember what it's like to be little like that and feel that fear. That fear you aren't ever going to see your Mom again. It's horrible.

So while I am happy that my child learned an important lesson -- it broke my heart that he had to feel that horrific fear, even for a few moments.