Today we lost H for a whole 30-40 minutes. It felt like a lot longer. It’s every parents worst nightmare.
The minutes ticked on and every horrible thought started to go through my head. His younger brother was crying in distress. Four adults were looking for him and the search party slowly got bigger and wider in perimeter.
It was a busy, hot Easter bank holiday weekend, a huge site packed with people. It’s so hard for any parent, but when yours is unpredictable and lacking in communication it adds another layer of worry.
My dad found him 10-15 minutes walk away playing happily in the water maze – his favourite place. We had said we were going to a ‘new maze’ just 2 minutes before he was last seen going down a slide – we couldn’t find him after that!
He was not in the least bit sad, aware or scared and it’s very difficult to talk to him about it as he only operates in the present. He was just worried about getting another ice cream!
Not without hope
Even this horrible situation was not without hope. The lady sitting next to my mum on the bench was related to someone who worked there so could get more help and her whole family helped in the search. We had extra adults with us and my dad was the one who eventually found him.
There were many reasons I started this blog; to raise awareness of SEN/ASD, to be real in what life is like for us day to day but also to share that we do have a greater hope than what this life promises.
Easter is the best example of this hope. We were all lost and far from God but he came looking for us by sending Jesus. His love for us and his delight when we trust in him are even more than what we felt when we found H today.
Tonight I will be having a large glass of something to recover but tomorrow is the celebration.
Easter Sunday is the evidence of the certain hope in all its glory. Jesus is alive. Those that were lost can be found.
