What happened to Jacob Wetterling -- and to his brother Trevor, and to his friend Aaron, and to their families -- didn't happen just to them. It happened to all of us. Each child's abduction should touch all of us.
Of all the news stories in my almost 59 years of life, this one touched me the most personally. That may be because as a small child I was also taken. Fortunately for me, I was taken by two neighborhood boys who "merely" stoned me and left me unconscious beneath davenport cushions in an abandoned area of the Minneapolis neighborhood where we lived at that time. I remember how that event affected my mother as well.
Perhaps Jacob has maintained such a special place in my heart because of the extraordinary spirit of his mother, Patty, who keeps him alive in our hearts and minds by sharing videos and pictures of this precious child with his endearing smile. Perhaps it is because of the stories that Trevor and Aaron have shared despite the pain that is so visible in their faces. Amazingly and admirably, they have gone on to live lives that honor Jacob.
Fall is such a beautiful time of year, with the crisp air and the smell of the leaves, but each autumn I feel this enduring sorrow. I am certain that I am not alone.
Tonight, take a moment to hold your loved ones close in your heart and include Jacob, his family and his friends in that embrace -- hoping that this 20th year will be the last of not knowing.
K. MAGREW, MAPLE GROVE
