ON BEING LOST

Have you ever been lost? I was once when I was four years old. It was Halloween. My mom and I went to visit my grandmother that day while my older brother was in school. I was dressed in my gypsy costume so I could show grandma. I had lots of necklaces and bracelets, a red bolero jacket, and a very full, crinkly brown skirt that swirled outward when I spun around. I even had a little tambourine to play. I was SO excited!! I remember that the skirt had sequins sewn on it that sparkled as I swirled. I loved that skirt and I loved being all dressed up.

Well, as long as I was dressed up it just seemed logical that I go trick-or-treating there in Grandma's neighborhood, so I asked if I could just go to the houses across the street. And if I could go to those houses, could I also go around the block? Amazingly, they let me. I remember one cranky man saying that trick-or-treat wasn't until that night, but most people were nice to me as I knocked on their doors. I remember that one older couple invited me in so I could dance for them in my swirly skirt. It was fun and I was really in my element. (a bit of a show off?)

I didn't notice that the day was wearing on and it was getting late. I don't know what happened, but I went around a corner, and I didn't know where I was. I do remember that horrible feeling as my confidence sank into the sidewalk. I knew I was lost but good and I started to cry.

Just then two older girls came across the street and asked if I was lost. They took me to their house and called my grandmother's house. I remember that they fed me ice cream while I waited for my mom.

It turns out that I had been gone so long that mom had been out looking for me. When she couldn't find me she contacted the police. They stopped at a school where a girl scout troop was meeting and asked if anyone had seen me. The meeting broke up then and the girls started combing the neighborhood looking for me. The two girls who found me were from that girl scout troop. I suspect that mom may have come by in the car at the time I was in entertaining those old folks with my gipsy dance. Otherwise I don't know how she could have missed me. Well, I was picked up in a police car. That was exciting. I was bursting with all the news when we got home. I had so much to tell my brother. I also noticed that it was getting fairly dark. I remember exclaiming gleefully that it was dark enough to go trick or treating, and I was all set to go because I had my costume on.

Mom gave me a withering look and said in no uncertain terms, "You have had enough Halloween for one day!!" I knew better than to protest too loudly. It wouldn't have done any good.

All's well that ends well, but to this day I have at least a partial recollection of what it felt like to be lost, and the wonderful relief that came over me when I was rescued. I was looking at the LDS church website the other day and found a wonderful video. Elaine Dalton tells how she felt while running the Boston Marathon, and realized that she might not have the strength to finish. She also realized that she was in a big city with thousands of people lining the streets. How would she ever find her husband at the end? She felt totally lost and alone.

Spectators noticed she was crying and called encouragement to her. She also began to pray as she ran, and step by step she made it through.

I think you will enjoy this little story. It was very uplifting to me. I plan on going back to it now and then and what better place to do that than right here? Love, Kathey