Monday, August 14, 2006

It could happen to any of us

My heart and prayers go out to Octavia Ammons, the mother of 6-year-old Jabriel Eason. Jabriel slipped out of the house while mom was taking a nap Sunday, even though she had moved a sofa to block the door. His little body was found in the lake behind their home today. I guess I feel like this could happen to any of us.
Because how many times has an exhausted mom lay down on the couch "for just a few minutes" while the kids are engrossed in Dora the Explorer? Or in my case, been in the kitchen cooking dinner while junior plays in the back yard, only to have him climb the fence and be found two streets over? Or worse, be in the mall bathroom and have the slippery little devil slide under the stall door and out of the ladies' room before you can get your jeans zipped? (I witnessed that one years ago - before I had a child.)
But really, as far as this case goes, I can't fault mom. I can't honestly say "you shouldn't be sleeping while you are taking care of your kids." Because I know what it's like to put a four-year-old down for a nap, thinking I can squeeze in one of my own once he falls asleep. Only to have him take a twenty-minute nap and then destroy his room as I sleep on. If he cracks his bedroom door, the mommy ears come on and I'm up. But I owe that more to a sticky bedroom door than to my own mom-sense. So I feel for Jabriel's mom. And I'll be keeping a closer eye on Daniel from now on. No matter how tired I am.
--Misty

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