Natalee Missing 53 Months
May 30, 2005 - October 30, 2009
We have been allowed to come to know this young woman, Natalee, through pictures and videos and descriptions of her from her family members and her many friends. We were also given the opportunity to read three of the writings from the Journal that Natalee kept and saw that she was a very astute young woman who had the same questions and thoughts about life as many of us. We have come to think of her as someone we have known all our lives and, although we came to know her under such terrible circumstances, we are extremely grateful that she was brought into our lives.
Unless we have been in a situation such as this, we have not had to experience the not hearing a soft and familiar voice - we have not had to experience the longing for a warm and loving embrace, not seeing the sparkle of beautiful blue eyes or the smile from a loving daughter. There are some here, though, that have been or are in this situation and they can relate to what life is like and continues to be when there is no closure. We will never know just exactly how that hurt really feels. We speak our thoughts as we would feel if Natalee was our daughter, but unless we have been there and experienced something as terrible as this, there is no way we can truly understand just how completely devastating it must be. We do not have to go to bed each night after another day of unknowing, asking God to help us prepare for another day. But, this has been the life of Natalee's family members now for 1,615 days.
We must continue to offer up to God our prayers for Natalee and her family because if we quit we would be giving up on Natalee. We must continue to speak of her, think of her, pray for her and defend her. For however long it takes, we must have faith and hope in our heart for the one we truly care so much about - Natalee.
Natalee is like the pink rose - a symbol of hope and faith and an image that never fades from the mind. She is a part of our being and will be in our hearts forever.