Over the weekend, I was by myself with my grandson Tommy. I had no idea that a simple trip to the laundromat would become so shocking.
I was grateful when a nice stranger offered to hold Tommy while I sorted my clothes. But I quickly went from being relieved to being horrified when I saw Tommy with a tide pod in his mouth and the stranger not caring.
When my gut told me to act quickly, I did, pulling the pod out of Tommy’s mouth quickly. I was very angry at the stranger because he didn’t seem to know that he was putting my grandson in danger.
What if I didn’t turn around? What if Tommy had taken the pod in? It was hard to concentrate because my mind was full of thoughts.
I felt bad that I put Tommy’s safety at risk by asking a stranger for help, and I told myself I would never do that again. It was a blur of worry and great caution the rest of the weekend, but I was glad I had kept Tommy safe.
Thinking back on it, I knew that being a grandmother meant more than just love and care. It also meant hard-won knowledge.
That day, I learnt something important that I will never forget. Tommie’s safety would always come first, even if it meant calling known family and friends for help instead of strangers.
That day is still fresh in my mind, a warning of how dangerous things can be when you least expect them. But it also made me think about how important it is to stay alert and how dedicated we need to be to keep our loved ones safe.
