There I was, outside of my parents house on Fawn Circle, frantically canvassing the neighborhood. My mind going a hundred miles an hour, thinking of the worst.

There is the busy street only thirty feet away that Aspen could have crossed, then sits open to land of Sagebrush and sandstone rock that houses rattlesnakes and wild animals. She could have easily gone that way. She has no fear and could easily scale a mountain, even barefooted.

The other direction leads to many gigantic houses. It was a beautiful day, and many neighbors had their garage doors wide open.

There I stood, trying to process what way to look. I was running and I was checking in neighbors garages, entering without permission calling Aspen’s name over and over.

My dad had taken his Trek bike, riding the streets and trails below searching for my barefooted Blonde Ninja.

Five minutes had passed, and I sighed a deep sigh and dialed the dreaded 911. The dispatcher remained calm as I cried. I felt like the biggest failure, the absolute worst parent. How could anyone not watch their child closely enough, that they would disappear into thin air?!?

The dispatcher, who obviously was clueless to Autism and eloping asked for a third time, “So, she is a runaway?” “Yes, yes, she has run away from me.”

A parents worst fear.
A parents nightmare.
An Autism Parents weak moment.

I spend every living second trying to keep her safe. I double lock the doors, I have my tight grip on her little wrist and chunky hand while outdoors or in public situations.

I have child locks on in my big Ford F-350 , so she doesn’t open the doors while I am driving 75 miles per hour down the interstate.

I patiently await her to rise from her infamous drop when she protests. She is planning her next silent escape.

I have memorized the twinkle in her grey eyes when she turns her head to side eye the area and come up with her plan to bolt faster than Dash off of the ‘Incredibles’

I avoid open water like rivers, lakes or pools unless we have at least three people to watch her like hawks.

I look for playgrounds with 8 foot tall chain linked fences.

Eloping and Autism.

So, luckily, she was okay. We found her in the house next to my parents. Luckily it belonged to my sister-in-law and Aspen was familiar with it. Luckily, my sister-in-law forgot to lock the front door when she left out of town. (Which she seldom forgets).

Aspen peeked her head out of the front door just as a police officer showed up to help this mess of a mom.

This could have easily had a very different outcome.

Angels were protecting.

So please, when you see a child with a harness attached to their parent, a school aged child sitting in a grocery cart, or a child too big for a stroller being pushed by a parent or sibling, please don’t judge.

Eloping is terrifying and our children’s safety is number one.