Today, Mama went postal. As hard as those words are to write, living them was one of the scariest Mama moments I have ever survived. Even as I type, emotions and tears spill out from that place today.
We planned a fun trip to the Zoo for our Crazy 8 family, plus one more borrowed child. We managed to successfully and smoothly ride the Metro with 9 people, 3 strollers, and a slew of backpacks, from Shady Grove to Cleveland Park. And then my world stopped in the blink of an eye.
The Metro doors opened at our Cleveland Park destination and Jillian pushed Emily in the stroller out the door onto the Metro platform. In a matter of 3 seconds, before anyone else could exit the Metro car, the doors closed--separating Mama from 2 of her peeps.
Willie tried physically re-opening the doors, but to no avail. As the Metro train pulled away from the station, leaving my daughter and foster child stranded all alone on the platform, this Mama screamed and banged on the doors with all her might. Mamas' don't go down without a hell of a fight. That crushing feeling that there was nothing I could do consumed me. I crumbled to the floor and prayed.
Willie got on the emergency intercom and tried to explain the situation to the driver, but the Metro continued rolling along taking me further from my children; all alone and scared. In the panic of the moment as the doors closed between Jillian and the rest of us, Willie remembered making eye contact with a woman already on the platform near Jillian. This was our angel.
At the next station, our family exited the Metro car where God had placed a Metro employee directly in our path. He called back to Cleveland Park and alerted the staff of our stranded children. In the rush of this action, my phone received a text: an unknown number---"Hi, I'm with Jillian. Give me a call when you get off the train." I cannot put into words the peace that rushed over this Mama's heart like a healing salve. God had heard our prayers and sent an angel to stand guard over Jillian and Emily until we could get to them.
In what seemed like forever to this Mama, our family circled back to the Metro exit and rushed off the train. Flying strollers and escalator frenzy, we were reunited with our girls. Mama's hugs were deep and full of heart. But my eyes searched the platform for our angel. I didn't know what she looked like, but when I saw her I knew it was her. I walked over to this complete stranger and embraced her in a bear hug of gratitude with tears of indebtedness streaming down my face. When the hug was over, we were both crying and her words were: "I would never have left them." She simply repeated this phrase over and over again. One mama to another. One stranger to another. One angel to rescue His children.
As I still feel like an emotional mess recalling what happened today and daring to imagine other ways the crisis could have unfolded, I am praising God tonight for the angel He sent to watch over all of us. Amy Grant's song "Angels Watching Over Me" plays in my mind and heart........
Amy Grant "Angels Watching Over Me"
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