We went to a carnival, and while Iris was getting her face painted, a golf cart with a large table on the back drove by, hit Remy’s stroller, and flipped it over while he was still strapped in.
I struggled for about 20 seconds to unbuckle him while the stroller was upside down on top of him, and during that time, he was completely silent. My heart felt like it stopped.
Afterwards, he seemed fine, but he stayed unusually quiet and looked confused and sad for a long time. He has a bruise on his forehead, two of my water bottles and the stroller are scratched, and my nerves were completely shot—but we’re okay.
It’s frightening how quickly things happen and how terrifying being a mom can be. What scares me even more is that when Remy gets hurt or upset in a serious way, he tends to go completely silent. That worries me—what if something was life-threatening and he made no noise at all?
I don’t know exactly why I’m sharing this. Maybe to remind people to drive carefully, even in golf carts. Maybe to say that being a mom is the hardest job in the world and we all deserve recognition. Maybe to share that I’m thankful my kids are safe, but I desperately need a vacation and a good night’s sleep—and I probably earned both by not yelling at the woman who hit the stroller.
I’m exhausted, but I’m also grateful. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and happy—you deserve it.