Hug Them Tighter

One morning, I saw this photo posted on my of my Facebook friend’s pages. The description was simple: “Last night was one of the most scariest moments in my life.”

Of course I had to read the rest of her post and later got even more details when we visited in person.

Carol’s son had one of those clip-on reading lamps with a bendy neck - the kind you find at Target or Walmart - attached to his bed. When he was ready to go to sleep one night, he couldn’t turn it off, and put a pillow on top of it.

HOURS later, Carol awoke to an acrid burning smell and went immediately to her son’s room where she saw a thin trail of smoke rising from underneath the pillow. She lifted the pillow and found a toy figurine melted a crisp and burn spots on the pillow and sheet (and even on the mattress underneath). Her son was fast asleep and was none the wiser until the following day.

The next morning, Carol teared up when talking to her two children about what happened while they slept. The family reviewed fire safety and she hugged them both a little tighter that morning. Then she posted the picture on Facebook because she figured others had similar lamps in their homes and should be aware of the potential danger.

Even sharing the story now gives me chills and makes me want to hug my own a little tighter.

written for http://blog.sacramentoparent.com/