12/17/2025
Yesterday, we were in a store, nothing unusual, just a normal day. I won’t mention any names, but my oldest daughter and I turned our backs for just two seconds to look at an item she wanted to show me. My two-year-old was sitting in the buggy right beside us.
In that tiny moment, a man walked up to my baby.
As soon as I turned my head, he immediately walked away from her but I seen him in the corner of my eyes walking towards her fast, I guess mom instincts kicked in and I immedetly moved closer to her.
At first, I didn’t panic. I honestly thought I recognized him, someone I might have seen around my hometown. I assumed he was just going to say hi to my baby, like so many people do in stores here in our small town we all speak. I’m used to casual conversations with strangers, and for a split second, I didn’t think anything of it.
But then I really looked at his face.
I didn’t know him at all.
I told my oldest, “I thought I knew that man, but I don’t.” And that’s when it hit me. What was he doing walking up to my child while we were focused on something else? Why did he leave so quickly the moment I looked up?
The thought made my stomach drop.
Anything could have happened in the blink of an eye. Our lives could have been changed forever in just a few seconds. The behavior felt off, and wrong and the more I thought about it, the more unsettled I became.
I can’t stop wondering what might have happened if I hadn’t turned my head when I did.
So please, keep your children close. Don’t take your eyes off them in public, even for a moment. Not everyone has good intentions, and danger doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Stay mindful of your surroundings during this Holiday season and all the time, because sometimes it’s the smallest moments that matter the most.
