We do still have all of our arms and legs, thank you

I took the kids to the mall a couple of weeks ago. We got some pictures taken at JCPenny's (pictures to come later) and then walked around the mall for a little while afterwards.  We were on the bottom level and needed to go up, since Gwen was in the stroller, we were waiting to get on the elevator. There were so many people on line that by the time it was our turn, the elevator was full.  I was going to wait for it to come back, but the people nearby were insisting that there was enough room and I didn't need to wait. I guess I hestiated too long because when I finally decided to get on, the door started closing. Normally this would be no big deal as I am familiar with elevator doors that start to close and then reopen when they sense something in the way. I don't know what was wrong with this elevator though because it most definitely did not do what it was suppose to.


Gwen was in her stroller in front of me and CC was close behind me on foot. I got the stroller half way inside the elevator when the door started closing. Gwen wasn't quite all the way in and I was just outside with the stroller mostly in between the doors. The doors would not stop and just kept closing in on the stroller. Half a dozen arms and hands were in the middle of the doors, trying to get the doors to stop closing, but they just kept coming. I don't know if my face went all white or what, but I was just about to flip out, faint, cry, scream or maybe all of the above. I was watching my baby helplessly stuck in the stroller that was about to get crushed by these doors.

I can't even tell you everything that was going on in my mind at the time, but I was really scared. I was thinking that this would be a horrible, but fitting scene in a Final Destination movie. I was thinking that I was powerless to save my poor child and I can't believe I just ASSUMED that it was safe to walk onto an elevator. I wanted to cry, but then FINALLY the doors stopped squeezing the stroller and reopened.

Even when the ordeal was over, I still wanted to cry. I was by myself and couldn't express how upset I was since I was trying to hold it together for the kids. Luckily, they didn't seem upset by any of it. I wondered if I would ever be able to get on an elevator again. I didn't want to become some crazy person that couldn't ride on things like elevators because of some freakish accident that has almost no chance of ever happening, but then again - how would you feel if you just watched your child almost get crushed by elevator doors?