The Bench

Every time I look at this bench, I think about what a horrible day it could have been. For years, I had been looking for a bench but none was quite what I wanted. They were either too expensive, did not have the storage space, were the wrong color or had spindles. I knew what I wanted and I finally found it at a bare wood store. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to get it. It was half the price of all the others I had seen and I also bought the stain right there in the same store.
We brought it home and it sat in our garage for a few weeks.

About two months later, my husband and daughter had gone to see my in-laws. My father-in-law was home from the hospital and there was a lot of machines with tubes so I stayed home with the baby who was now walking and into everything. He was about a year old.

That weekend was perfect weather for staining the bench in the garage. So, I put my son down for his usual nap at one, brought the monitor out to the garage and started to stain the bench. Around three o'clock I was almost done with my project. I only had ten minutes left when I heard my son stirring. I could have left him in the crib but I went and got him, put him in the stroller with the wheels locked, strapped him in and gave him a bagel and some juice.

We talked back and forth while I worked and he ate. Then, I wiped out the bottom of the bench, put the cover on the stain, looked at the stroller and it was EMPTY!

I panicked. I looked at the dog thinking he would have gone over to visit the dog, but she was lying there sleeping oblivious to what had happened. I looked all over the garage but I could not see him and there is a lot of dangerous stuff in our garage.

My son had never gotten out of the stroller before so I could not believe he got out and I did not hear him.

I looked up and down the street, but saw nothing. It just so happened my neighbor was out mowing his lawn so I decided I had to go ask him for help. Just as I went over to his house, here came my neighbor carrying my son. Apparently, he had gone over to see his two dogs. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and whispered, "Thank you, God" to which my son said "Your welcome!"

When I think about that one minute I did not look or talk to him and how fast he was gone and what could have happened, I am so grateful it turned out ok. So, whenever I look at the bench coming down the stairs, I think about how lucky I was that day.

Have a good one!