One summer we went on a family camping trip to California’s Pyramid Lake, joined by my brother Stuart. The kids, ages 4 and 2, were excited to play in nature and eat s’mores. The campground was filled with individual sites, where other groups and families had set up tents and grills and folding chairs.
After a long day in the sun, we settled into our tent for the night. Steve and I had an inflatable mattress, while Stuart and the kids were nearby in sleeping bags on the ground.
We had all been asleep for a while when I was startled awake by a shout, “Mommy, mommy!”
It was Aaron, and his distressed voice was outside of the tent. I immediately leapt up, and barreled out of the tent. It was pitch black, and in my haste I had forgotten to grab a flashlight. But Aaron’s voice, still calling out, “Mommy!” kept me focused on rescuing my son. All I could think was that he had wandered out into the dark wilderness, and didn’t know how to get back to our tent. As far as I could tell, his voice was coming from a distance, where there was a mass of shrubs and vines. “Aaron! Mommy’s here. Just stay where you are!” I called out. By now, Stuart was also searching in the dark.
With each passing second, I got more frantic. Where was Aaron? He kept yelling, “Mommy!” Again, I shouted, “I’m coming!” But when I got to where his voice seemed to be coming from, all I could make out in the dark was more bushes and a tent belonging to some nearby campers.
I was about to lose my mind when Stuart found me, saying “Larissa! Larissa!” “Where’s Aaron? Did you find him?” I asked. Stuart grabbed me firmly by the shoulders, “LARISSA. He’s safe and sleeping. Inside the tent.” What? Huh? Now I felt like I was really going crazy. Stuart led me back to our tent, and pointed inside. There, sleeping peacefully on the floor, were both the kids. Aaron was not lost outside in the dark. He hadn’t even left the tent.
It turned out that the kid shouting was actually in the tent at the next site over, sad because his mom had left to go to the bathroom. We all crawled back into our own tent, relieved that all was well and everyone was safe.
After a long day in the sun, we settled into our tent for the night. Steve and I had an inflatable mattress, while Stuart and the kids were nearby in sleeping bags on the ground.
We had all been asleep for a while when I was startled awake by a shout, “Mommy, mommy!”
It was Aaron, and his distressed voice was outside of the tent. I immediately leapt up, and barreled out of the tent. It was pitch black, and in my haste I had forgotten to grab a flashlight. But Aaron’s voice, still calling out, “Mommy!” kept me focused on rescuing my son. All I could think was that he had wandered out into the dark wilderness, and didn’t know how to get back to our tent. As far as I could tell, his voice was coming from a distance, where there was a mass of shrubs and vines. “Aaron! Mommy’s here. Just stay where you are!” I called out. By now, Stuart was also searching in the dark.
With each passing second, I got more frantic. Where was Aaron? He kept yelling, “Mommy!” Again, I shouted, “I’m coming!” But when I got to where his voice seemed to be coming from, all I could make out in the dark was more bushes and a tent belonging to some nearby campers.
I was about to lose my mind when Stuart found me, saying “Larissa! Larissa!” “Where’s Aaron? Did you find him?” I asked. Stuart grabbed me firmly by the shoulders, “LARISSA. He’s safe and sleeping. Inside the tent.” What? Huh? Now I felt like I was really going crazy. Stuart led me back to our tent, and pointed inside. There, sleeping peacefully on the floor, were both the kids. Aaron was not lost outside in the dark. He hadn’t even left the tent.
It turned out that the kid shouting was actually in the tent at the next site over, sad because his mom had left to go to the bathroom. We all crawled back into our own tent, relieved that all was well and everyone was safe.
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