This morning I was awakened by a text that said. ‘Emergency SOS. Kati Barr has made an emergency call from this approximate location—- You are receiving this message because Kati has listed you as an emergency contact.’

Kati is my daughter.

I immediately called her cell and got no answer. I then called 911 and trying to remain calm (absolutely losing my shit) explained to the dispatcher what my message said and asked her how to proceed. As she was calmly explaining things to me, I saw my daughter’s number come up on the other line and told the dispatcher I was going to take the call.

‘Hi mom,’ Kati said, ‘if you got an emergency message from me it’s because my phone was in my pocket and accidentally hit the emergency button. I’m fine.’

I crumbled into a sobbing mess like the wicked witch who’d had a bucket of water dumped on her head.

Those few minutes were sheer terror. Thinking something had happened to my daughter cut me in half.

Once I was able to breathe again I said many prayers of gratitude.

And it got me thinking…you know what? I don’t have any problems. My kids are both alive and safe so anything compared to that is miniscule.

It also made me think of all the parents out there who get those calls and they are not a mistake. (My mother included) How do they ever function again? The courage it takes is incomprehensible.

That jolting reminder I got this morning was a good reality check for all of those incessant worries circling round my brain, so I thought I’d share it.

The things we think we can’t live without aren’t things…they’re people.

Nothing else really matters.