PURSES, COMPUTERS, OR YOUR CHILD

Lets Big Chipper is about helping kids who need our help for a variety of reasons. I raise FUNds for non-profits who are there for the kids who need them. Today, however, I find myself needing to talk about the children who are in good homes, not battling cancer or other horrible diseases, and for the most part are growing up in normal healthy circumstances. Before looking into my Lets Big Chipper facebook page and checking on my webite www.letsbigchipper .com this morning, I did something I don't normally do. I turned on the television. It's the good old summer time right? That used to mean you'd hear about rising temperatures, rising gas prices, the latest movies and whatever other local or national things might be taking place. But now it seems we have to add to that list of what we can expect to hear about when summer rolls around. It is absolutely unfathomable, unbelievable, incomprehensible what we've come to allow ourselves to accept. What is this life is busy stuff? I've got a lot on my mind mantra. Hasn't he or she suffered enough? In case you haven't figured out by my title or the content of my blog so far, I'm talking about the absolute absurdity of children dying a horrible slow death as they are left behind in hot cars. Forgotten...forgotten? FORGOTTEN? Let that sink in. We're told to put our purses or computers next to our child's car seat so we won't FORGET THE CHILD because goodness knows we would never forget our purse or computer in the car. They're too precious. As I write this my temperature is rising. Hasn't he or she suffered enough? The one who got out of the car with the purse and/or computer and stepped into an air conditioned building while the child slowly died inside a car reaching 140 degrees or more. The latest I heard is of an eleven month old left in a car and the mother thought she had driven to the day care before going to work. While driving she had "a lot on her mind." One thing on her mind was planning her child's one year birthday party and she forgot the guest of honor in the car. Three hours later it was the day care that called her asking her where her child was. THAT'S when she realized she left her baby in the car who unspeakably had passed away. To date, since 1998, 583 children have died due to being locked in sweltering hot cars. Of the 583 51% were FORGOTTEN; 29% were playing inside the car (that's another story); 18% the child was left intentionally (truly another story) and 2% the circumstances are unknown WHAT???

 I'm not here to discuss what should happen to the parents or caregivers that FORGET a child is in the car but I certainly don't go down the road of hasn't he or she suffered enough.{ In case you haven't noticed, I just can't wrap my head around FORGETTING a child is in the car and I know I never will.} I don't care to concern myself with that individual's suffering. I am sure it is immense. But they had options and the child did not. I think we need to stop patting ourselves on the back for how busy we are and think about busy doing what? What can possibly trump the life we've brought into this world? We're like hamsters on a wheel always striving to get somewhere when, once we become parents, we have arrived. Of course our careers and personal fulfillment are important. Both lend to the person we are and the parents we become. But when we FORGET that precious little life that is completely dependent on us and we remember to go to work and make sure we have everything we need so the boss doesn't get mad at us that's when we need to stop being so proud of ourselves. When I say we, I'm not speaking to only those who have committed this unspeakable act of neglect. I'm speaking to anyone who finds themselves really able to understand how that could happen. Please, do a self-check now. Slow yourself down and take the time to second guess yourself. If you really can get how this could happen then you are weighing in a little too heavy in the self-important department when it comes to everything but your child or children. I don't ever see us going back to the days of when children grew up coming home from school and spending summers with their mom in the home making things feel so safe and so comfortable but to go to this extreme on the other end of the spectrum is utterly inane and insane.  KDD