Recently in a neighborhood very close to mine, a ten-year-old girl was abducted and murdered. This event occurred just a few weeks ago. The little girl, Jessica Ridgeway - a name I don't think I'll ever forget, was taken on her way to a local park where she usually joined friends on her walk to school.
Yesterday, an arrest was made. The police arrested a 17 year old boy. The news states that his mother actually gave the police the tip which led them to the arrest. I can't help but have sympathy for both of these parents, one whose daughter was taken in such a devastating way and the other has to deal with the fact that their son carried out such a horrific act and they will ultimately lose him as well.
I hope that some good can come from this tragic event, and it seems that her community has rallied around her family to support them during this time. While I know this will fade, this event is a huge reminder of how quickly events like this can happen. I hope to never take my children's safety and heath for granted. I hope to squeeze every ounce of love and joy from all of the moments I am blessed to have with my family.
I hope that this tragic event will help all parents to enjoy the time they have with their children and hug them a little tighter and love them a little more fiercely. I know I will.
Well said, Sara. This horrific event has hit way too close to home. I have been struggling to keep the news away from the boys, mostly Carter, because he saw and read all the signs when Jessica was missing. He asked me the other day if they found the missing little girl. He wanted me to tell him her name. I did tell him Jessica's name and that they did find her. Of course, I left out the horrible outcome. It was gut-wrenching to hear him say "Yay, they found her! They found Jessica!" With tears in my eyes, I kept my mouth shut & let him believe that she was found alive & well. His innocence was preserved, but my worry for him and the horrors of our world have been brought literally to my doorstep. I hope that, in Jessica's honor, we as parents can use this tragedy to educate and empower our children to keep themselves safe when we are not there to do so for them. That is the best I can do to make something positive come of such an awful, awful event.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you took the time to write about this. You hit the nail on the head.