Without a trace...

I'm a big fan of the show, Without a Trace. I really get immersed in the storylines and drama of a it all. However, last night I had a very real dream that resembled this show just a little too close for comfort. In this dream, I was shopping at a nearby Winco with my two children. Though parts of it are a little fuzzy to me now, I remember chasing down some woman who had almost hurt someone or us or whomever. I must've left my kids supposedly by my car with intructions to wait for me right there. That was my first mistake.

After catching up with the woman I'd been running after, she acted very contrite for whatever it was she had done. She kept talking to me as if to distract me. When I finally realized I had better get back to my kids, I only saw my son standing by the car. I asked him where his sister was and he said he didn't know. Together we began to search the entire area. The Winco turned into some quaint downtown district. My son and I kept going into shop after shop, asking people if they'd seen my daughter. The police were called and I gave them my daughter's most recent picture so that they could get the word out about her missing. They felt that someone had taken her. My son was in a daze.

The awful thing is that I woke up before I could find her. It was the most horrible feeling to know that my baby girl was missing and most likely kidnapped. And worse of all it was my own fault for not keeping a better eye on my kids. It makes me think back to those times when I truly turned my back for all of a second to do grab something off of a shelf or pay for something. It only takes a second for someone to come along and scoop up your child.

You just never know what can happen, so I am so grateful that I happened to have that recent picture of her (in the dream). I pretty much always have my wallet photo album of the kids with me. It's pretty small and doesn't take up much room. What a saving grace it could turn out to be if such a situation were to really happen. You can never be too careful. I don't wish to lead a life fearing what could happen, but I think it doesn't hurt to be aware and cautious. My kids mean everything to me and I don't know how I could handle it if such a thing ever became a reality. I pray that it never does.