The Scare of a Lifetime

I have always thought that I have it fairly “easy” when it comes to Taylor.  Mind you, I’m using the term “easy” loosely. 

There are a lot of people out there that have a more difficult road to travel with their autistic children than we have had with Taylor. 

Yesterday, one of the things we “didn’t have to worry about” became something that “we really need to worry about”.

Up until recently, whenever we went outside to play, Taylor usually stayed in one place (on the deck or in the back yard) and played with her toys.

Over the last month or so, probably ever since school started, Taylor has been trying to sneak away and run down the driveway, like she does when the school bus gets here to pick her up.

Normally, she doesn’t get too far.  One of us, or Aaron would get her and bring her back to where we were to keep an eye on her.

Yesterday, I made a mistake.

Aaron was at a friend’s house and Doug was still at work.  I brought the girls (Emma, Taylor, Miss J and Miss K) out to play on the deck and I had asked Miss J, who is 6, to not let Taylor go off the deck.   

I decided to putt around in the garage to finish a few things that hadn’t got done the day before when we had cleaned out the garage.

Figuring I’d be in and out often, and with Miss J and the other girls watching, that everyone would be okay.

I’d been working for about 10 minutes (I was not in the garage the whole time…I was in and out.)  (and chatting with Doug on the phone…mistake #2) when I walked out of the garage only to hear the girls screaming for me.  Taylor had run the length of the driveway and was at the edge of the road. 

I screamed her her name and told her to stop.  She paused briefly, turned to look at me, she smiled and laughed, like she does when she’s playing a game.  Then, to my horror, she turned again an darted across the road.

I went after her, reaching her in a driveway across the street.  I picked her up and carried her home, sobbing, terrified.

She laughed and wiggled in my arms, finding the situation very funny.

She had no idea of the danger she’d been in.

We live in town.  Although, it’s a small town, but our street gets a fair amount of traffic.

Fortunately, there weren’t any cars in the area when Taylor decided to dash across the road.

I am still shaken.  Imagining all the “what if” scenarios just really makes it hit home.  So many things could have transpired from that one event.

That was the first time she had ever taken off, but the events leading up to it had happened a million times over the summer.  I send the kids out on the deck, ask the older girls to help out, mill about outside or just inside with the door open, sweeping the floor or doing dishes.

My perspective has changed.  I’m just glad that it wasn’t a preventable tragedy that changed it.