“How can anyone forget about their child? If it were my child, there is noooooo way that I would forget him/her in the car, at school, at church, at daycare, at . . . ”
By a show of hands, how many people have made these statements? Come on. There should be more hands than that (if you are being honest). I admit that I have forgotten my son a time or two (or three, or four). Does that make me a bad parent? No, it does not AND AGAIN I SAY NO!!!! It just means that I was a parent that was too busy for my brain.
Unfortunately, we have had a rash of tragedies with parents forgetting their children in cars (accidentally and intentionally). Some have died but this is nothing new. Yes, I agree that one death is too many but if we are truly honest with ourselves we have forgotten our children. You may not have left him/her in a hot car but maybe at a daycare, school, practice, church, a friend and or relative’s home. WE ARE HUMAN AND OUR BRAINS ARE FALLIBLE.
Many are having children later in life which means, total immersion in career has already taken place and the added computer program entitled “remember your kid” has not been saved on the hard drive of the brain. Folks are so busy moving from point A to point B and then on to point C and back to point B. Something (or someone) is bound to be forgotten.
Do I sound non-compassionate for those little angels who have lost their lives? That is not my intent. My intent is to ask you to truthfully put yourself in the shoes of those parents who HONESTLY ACCIDENTALLY forgot their child in the cars. Believe me! No prison term could ever be punishment enough for one who has lost their child by their own hand accidentally or otherwise. Who are we to condemn and judge? It is by the grace of God, Allah, Rasta, or whoever you pray to, that your child’s’ name is not in the headline for child endangerment, neglect or abuse.
Pray for these families who have gone through these painful experiences but don’t forget the children. Use these tragedies as lessons to not only remember your child when traveling here and there. Use them also as reminders to SLOW DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LIFE!
My son is 20 years old and has turned out to be a pretty good guy (if I do say so myself and I do). But there were times when, if not but for the grace of God, I could have lost him due to being too busy and not paying attention to my life which he is a major part of.
Never get too busy and remember to have a FUNKADELIC FRIDAY!!!!
~ Malinda Gwyn
TheWRITEaddiction.com 
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