Stranger Danger

There was an Amber alert in our city today for a missing 7 year old girl. She was a cute little girl with long dark hair and big dark eyes. I ached for the little girl and I ached for the family. I thought of my own daughters and how I would feel if anything ever happened to one of them. It would be unbearable.

When I got home from school, I asked Boo what she would do if a man came up to her when she was playing outside and asked if she would help him find his lost puppy. He may even have a picture of his cute little puppy and he may even be crying because he was so sad he lost his puppy, I told her. What would you do? Her answer is every mother's fear. "I would help him find his puppy because it would be really sad, and I wouldn't want him to be sad or his puppy to be lost." She has seen the video "Too Smart for Strangers". I know we've talked about not talking to strangers, and running away if someone tries to get you to come with them, but somehow the big message was missed. So... we talked again. Next week I'm going to have the same conversation. And the week after that. And I'm going to talk with Punkin, and as soon as I think she knows what I'm saying, I'll talk with Little Cat, too. I'm going to keep talking. I'm going to make sure they know.

At the same time, I want them to be compassionate, caring daughters with empathy and concern for others. It is hard for a five year old to draw a line between helping someone who really needs it and not helping someone because they are only asking so that they can hurt you. I have tried to explain that helping her friends when they are outside is okay... or helping someone when mom or dad says its okay... is okay. I hope she understands.

I never want to know the heartache and dispair of knowing that your child is gone. I hope they find this missing little girl. I hope she is okay and I hope her father will get to hold her again soon.