
I am the Queen of worriers. I worry about everything. You can get worry wreaths, worry balls, worry boxes, worry beads, worry stones, worry dolls and lord knows how many other things....but nothing seems to keep you from worrying if you're the worrying kind.
Last week my son had to show his butt and he, along with my ex really hurt my feelings. I was just nicely getting over that when my grandson left his house Friday afternoon with a friend, telling his mom he'd be back in "a couple hours". Three days later, she is a quivering, shaking mess, sitting at the police department filing a missing person report. I don't think I even have to tell you what it was doing to me. The matriarch of the family....the one who has to stand strong and be the backbone. I did all that but when I was alone, I fell apart. I was just plain scared. We were planning his little sister's birthday celebration Sunday.....he knew that. Our out-of-state relatives were leaving to go back home Monday. Yes, indeed....I was truly scared.
At 17 years old, he apparently thinks he has earned the right to come and go as he pleases without answering to anyone. He has stayed at friend's before for a couple days but he's always called. This time he didn't call. (No....he doesn't have a cell phone like 90% of the teen population) He was with a new kid in town. None of his friends knew this kid's last name or where he lived....they only knew his first name. Today was the fourth day he'd been missing. We were getting a picture ready to email to the local news media when his best friend called and said they had located him. Yes....he's fine. This new kid is wealthy I guess and he's been having a lot of fun at his house....for four days. And yes....the kid's parents were aware that he was there, as they were home and he was there by invitation. I'm sure there are phones in the house....why didn't he call home? And what happened to the old deal that parents used to do.....call the other kid's parents! Get acquainted....find out if the kid has permission to stay....What happened to that? Although I'm not blaming this on them....the blame is on my grandson. What he did is 100% wrong and unforgivable.
You think you know your kid or your grandkid....but you don't really know them like you think you do. He has put his mother and me through so much worry during this time I can't even begin to tell you. I had so many What If's going through my head........well, I'm sure you can imagine.
As soon as we found out he was alive and he was OK....then we were both instantly and gigantically pissed. I absolutely cannot believe that he was so uncaring....so inconsiderate...as to let us suffer like this. And no....there had been no argument beforehand....he just casually left.
I don't know what she's going to do about him....I think she's going to cart him down to the police station to let the officer have a little talk with him, if they will do such a thing. As for me....I am numb. I'd like to spank him hard and send him to his room with no TV or privileges for a year.....I'd like to put him in the naughty chair, send him to bed with no dessert and anything else that will get it across to him that what he did was terribly cruel and wrong. But he's too old for any of that.
That which does not kill you, will only make you stronger. Both my daughter and I ought to be champions by now. Thank God this turned out ok.....it could have gone the other way so easily.