6. Hope

Today, I thought about Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, both of whom were found after being taken. Oprah showed the photos of so many Lost Children throughout the hour. Children who have been taken from their homes or close to their homes. Parents talking about their baby being taken from the crib in the middle of the night. What a nightmare! John Walsh said, "you give people hope Oprah." What a wonderful testimony! Oprah and Walsh have fought for legislation for 25 yrs to have a national database for sex offenders. Sounds like a great idea. I know that I have looked on-line in my neighborhood and was quite shocked at how many offenders are around my own area. That was the result of one of the people on the show.

Then, I thought again about Elizabeth Smart. I remember clearly when she was taken. The police immediately suspected her father, Ed Smart and probably wasted time looking at him as a suspect, probably because of Susan Smith as Oprah said. Susan Smith lied and she was guilty of killing her own children, like a modern Medea. My daughters were so upset and scared when Elizabeth was taken. Brooke, my youngest, started sleeping in Ali, her big sister's bed. Ali had been begging for a dog, and that's when we found our Oreo 'Cookie' Spackman. I heard one of the news people say, 'a dog discourages intruders' and 'the Smart family did not have a dog.' That was enough, we got a dog! Whenever I am in Liberty Park, I remember when Elizabeth was shown sitting at that picnic table in the park. She recently testified to the horror she experienced and I think she is sooo brave! She looked beautiful when she was Oprah recently.

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus on the brightest"

Dalai Lama

What do you hope for today?