Justice Interrupted "Erupts" On The Scene

Three powerful, experienced women have joined forces to give a voice to victims of crime that have been silenced for various reasons. Victims advocate, Susan Murphy Milano, former detective and author, Stacy Dittrich, and prosecutor Robin sax are combining their talents to help investigate crimes and get answers for those that need them.

Each of these women brings a different perspective and insight to the business of crime. I am copying a brief biography of each from the blog and you will see that this is a formidable group to be reckoned with. I wish them all the best of luck on this much needed venture and success for each victim who comes to them.http://my.opera.com/Delilah1234/blog/2008/08/16/justice-interrupted

Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Justice Interrupted Investigates
Justice Interrupted Crime Radio Network:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/justiceinterrupted

Tuesday, September 2, 2008


Time: 7 PM /PST 9 PM /CST 10 PM/EST

Call -In Number to the Show: 914-338-0663


This week's show we will highlight the Case of Rachel Conger missing since March of 2008.

Links for Rachel http://www.bringrachelhome.blogspot.com

The Lilly Aramburo Case missing since June of 2007.

Links for Lilly: http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2008/07/lucely-lilly-aramburo-ignored-or.html

And we will feature the wife of a Law Enforcement Officer who lives one day at a time uncertain if she will remain safe by the time she begins her new life. The police officers wife will share safety concerns and issues commonly faced when married to someone in law enforcement.

If you have a case you would like the Justice Interrupted team to investigate or highlight the case of a family member or friend who have been silenced by the legal system or, you are too afraid to ask for help in an unsolved murder or crime relating to a loved one we are an email away.

Justice Interrupted Crime Information

Do you have a friend or a loved one who is missing or has vanished without a trace?

If a friend or relative is missing or vanished and you believe they have meet with foul play:

Was the person going through a divorce?
Did they end an abusive relationship?
Was there a custody dispute?
Did they file or have a court order of protection?
Were they being stalked by a former lover or spouse?
Were police ever called to the home?
Was a police report ever filed?
Do you have good reason to suspect the person they were involved in a relationship with harmed your loved one in some way?

Are you having a difficult time getting Law Enforcement to pay attention or investigate the case?

Is your case stalled in missing persons when it should be reviewed by homicide or cold case investigations?

Were you ever told by the person who is missing, vanished or murdered, "if something ever happens to me it was this specific person who is responsible?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we may be able to assist you and or bring attention to a specific case.
http://justiceinterrupted.blogspot.com/

Bradley Olsen, John Spira, and Scott Arcaro

This is a departure for the usual "Mothers are Vanishing" as I am featuring a Father that has vanished.
Bradely Olsen was out on January 20, 2007 having a good time at a night club in DeKalb, IL. He knew that he had too much to drink to drive home safely, so he used his cell phone to call someone to give him a ride home from the bar he where he was drinking.

The cell phone went dead and Brad has not been seen or heard from since. It was very cold that night, and although he was living with his parents, they were on vacation in Florida at the time. Stating that they had never gone more than a few days not hearing from him, they reported him missing four days later.

According to family members, Brad had no motive, nor the means to drop out of sight or walk away to start a new life. He is a father to a beautiful little girl, his mother and father and siblings are part of a big family, who has rallied with all the support they can, to search and bring awareness to the community.

Along with Brad Olsen, several others in Illinois went missing in 2007, among them are Lisa Stebic, Scott Arcaro and John Spira. Brad's family has combined efforts with their families to search as much as possible any areas that may hold clues to what happened to any of these adults.

Thursday, August 28, Cue Center, based in Wilmington, NC, will be present at a rally sponsored by the family of Brad Olsen. Each year Cue Center, founded by Monica Caison, goes on the road for thousands of miles,making countless stops, to bring each community awareness of those there who are missing.

Please plan to attend the rally and support the families of all the missing who will be honored there.

Cue Center Road To Remember Tour Rally
Thursday, August 28, 2008
9:00-11:00am
Maple Park Fire Department
305 S. county Line Road
Maple Park, IL

Bethanie Doughtery

From the pictures and entries on her family guest book you can almost feel the vibrancy of Bethanie Doughtery. Bethanie, also known as "Buffy", was reported missing from her home in Killowog, NY on the evening of April 2, 2008 because she had not been seen by anyone in her family all that day, nor had she reported for work at the XMart at her scheduled early morning shift.

Bethanie usually was up around 3am to prepare for that early morning shift at the XMart, 25 miles away from her home. Customers and co-workers alike were said to have enjoyed knowing her and it was not like her to just not show up for work. Later it was discovered that two of Bethanie's neighbors had separately made 9-1-1 calls reporting a woman screaming, police responded but did not find anything amiss in the area.

After she was reported missing, police returned to the home to find that her car was in the driveway, everything she owned was still in her house, including her clothes and all personal belongings. It is reported that their was no sign of a struggle in or around the house.

The last person to see her was her 18 year old son who lived with her in the home full time. He says that it was around 10pm when he last saw his mother, in her purple pajamas, inside the house. Several searches have been performed my members of the close knit community and Bethanies numerous friends and family members, but nothing has been produced as to the whereabouts of Bethanie. Police are still investigating a sighting of a truck seen in the area that may or may not be connected to the case.

Along with Bethanie's 18 year old son are two younger siblings, 15 and 14, a house full of teenagers from a previous marriage. Bethanie and her estranged husband of eight years, Bill Dougherty were separated since January and had several arguments over the home they shared on Jennings Creek, the same home Bethanie was living in when she vanished. It is also reported that since the separation Bethanie had gone on dates with a few other men, but nothing in the way of a serious relationship.

Her mother describes her as a person who loved everybody and everything, a wonderful person and a mother who loved and doted on her three children. It's said that Bethanie was outgoing, compassionate and yet stubborn, a woman who would guard her principles and children.

Three teenage children left wondering what happened to their mother early in the morning of April 2, are missing the guidance and teachings of a mother ready to spring her children from the nest. These children are left behind to search for answers with a void left in their young lives that will never be filled until their mother is returned to them.

The investigation continues, the searches go on, the leads are being followed, the family is keeping a candle burning for Bethanie.

On Monday, August 25, the family of Bethanie Doughery will be sponsoring a stop on the Cue Center Road To Remember Tour in Marathon, NY at the Three Bear Hotel and Inn located at 3 Broome Street at 10:30am. If you are near this area, please attend and show support for this family. Encourage her mother, father, sisters and other family members, but most of all the three children who desparately need to have their mother brought home.

http://www.findbethaniedougherty.com/

http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/2008/06/bethanie-doughterya-vanishing-voice.html

http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=2632.45;topicseen

http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/Wanted_and_Missing/missing/view.cfm?ID=af8eed60-dffa-4d5d-abca-5125ec29e832

http://www.crimeandjustice.us/forums/lofiversion/index.php?t12228.html

http://someoneismissing.com/

Mary Badaracco

I have copied this well written column about missing mother, Mary Badaracco which tells the story of a daughter's search for her mother who has been missing for 24 years. The story has the same elements as many others that have been told here before.


Take on Life: Unsolved Badaracco murder case still hurts
By Brian Koonz
STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 08/20/2008 09:00:24 AM ED

Some anniversaries are marked with candlelight dinners and plane tickets. They are cause for celebration, moments to inhale life in deep, delicious gulps.

Other anniversaries, like the one Beth Profeta observed this week, are just the opposite. They are licenses for pain, moments when it's impossible to inhale anything.

Profeta should know.

It's been 24 years since she lost her mother, Mary Badaracco, to a cold-blooded killer. Although the Sherman woman's body was never found, police declared her a homicide victim in 1990.

"How would I describe how I feel?" Profeta said Tuesday. "It's primal. I wake up every single day and I miss her. But I know deep in my heart (police) are within reach of breaking this thing wide open.

"If the right person would just come forward and give us what we need, I could bury my mother and move on. Until then, it's just hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever faced.

"Every day I think, this could be our day for a miracle. And then I try to think what I can do to speed up the process."

On Sunday, Profeta and her family will hold a memorial service at the Lourdes Shrine in Litchfield. The event is billed as a healing service, a chance to get the word out about Mary Badaracco and the thousands like her who are missing -- and feared dead -- in the United States.

The service is one of 30 stops that representatives of the CUE Center for Missing Persons will make on a two-week tour. The North Carolina-based organization, founded in 1994, gives grieving families a reason to believe beyond the odds, beyond the years.

According to Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance, Mary Badaracco's case is very much open. There's no reason to give up now.

"We are actively working on this case and following each and every lead that we receive," Vance said Tuesday in a voicemail to The News-Times.

There were no hiccups of hesitation in his voice. Vance spoke with the kind of quiet confidence that comes when leads turn into interlocking pieces, even after 24 years.

Granted, there are still holes in this puzzle. But not for long, not if witnesses with good eyes and better ears finally show the courage to step forward.

"We believe there are people out there with information," Vance said succinctly.

Profeta believes it, too. And the admission is tearing her up inside.

"To know people can actually live with themselves without coming forward, to know they can actually look at themselves in the mirror, is very hard for me to deal with," she said.

A year ago, the state police dug a hole in a Newtown backyard as part of their investigation into Badaracco's murder. Vance called it "a rather large excavation" in his voicemail Tuesday.

When the job was completed, state police had pulled out at least one motor vehicle and several pieces of physical evidence. At the time, they said "detectives have developed several leads and have developed information in this homicide as a result of that excavation."

And yet, the Newtown excavation is nothing compared to the hole in Profeta's heart, the one that never seems to heal.

In April, police moved another step closer to solving her mother's murder when they arrested Danbury's Ernest Dachenhausen and charged him with interfering with an officer in relation to the 2007 excavation. Dachenhausen owned the Newtown property at the time Badaracco disappeared.

The state police are getting closer. Beth Profeta can feel it.

Next August will be the 25th anniversary of Mary Badaracco's disappearance. The acknowledgment is nearly too much for Profeta to bear. But the alternative -- the questions, the emptiness, the uncertainty -- is even worse.

Beth Profeta deserves better. More importantly, so does her mother.

Contact Brian Koonz at bkoonz@newstimes.com or at (203) 731-3411.
Name -- Mary Badaracco
Last seen -- August 1984 in Sherman
Age at disappearance -- 38.
Anyone with information -- Call the Connecticut State Police in Southbury at 1 (800) 376-1554 or 1(203) 267-2200
To text an anonymous tip -- Text 274637 (crimes), use the Connecticut State Police code "TIP 711," and leave details.

http://www.newstimes.com/ci_10250618?source=most_emailed

http://4yourinfo-finder.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-happened-to-mary-badaracco.html

http://peace4missing.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2153128%3ABlogPost%3A6882

http://rewardfund.yourtribute.com/_w3/rewardfund102820044915/-vid-/thepage/Homepage/template/dbox/w3_/template_src/templates/dbox/home

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53816

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/badaracco_mary.html

http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=1681.0

Copy, Paste, and Change the World

Internet Petitions...a Waste of Time?
snopes.com: Internet Petitions

Posted using ShareThis
Best intentions aside, seems like studies have shown that online petitions actually aren't all that productive. Yet, all hope is not lost. Project Jason has a wonderful task for all of us, to help implement an essential bill to aid many loved one's missing persons. And with the way they have it set-up, it's just as easy as signing an online petition, yet the impact is far greater.
http://www.projectjason.org/legislation.html

These are the basic steps involved:

1) If you are interested in helping make a difference in the lives of thousands of missing persons and their families, send an email to campaignforthemissing@projectjason.org Give us your name and the state in which you live. Campaign volunteers are asked to work as a team and post updates on a special area of Project Jason’s forum.

2) Look up the name and contact information for your state senator. This is the official who works with state law rather than federal. You may look up your representative here http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm

3) Send either via email or US mail the prepared letter you will find at the end of this posting to that representative. You are asking them to sponsor this bill and to present it to the senate.

4) If you get a negative response, write to other senators until sponsorship is obtained. (My hope is that there will be more than one person in each state working on this, so that no one person is working on it.)

Sample Letter

This is a sample letter you may use to send to your state senator to ask for sponsorship of the model legislation.
Dear Senator _________,

It has come to my attention that there is a very real and growing problem here in the state of ____________.

Each year, families in __________ struggle with the agony of having to report a missing loved one. Far too often missing persons investigations grow cold, leaving many to cope with this loss. Historically, the law enforcement community's ability to locate and ensure a safe return of those missing has been hampered by an inability to share resources and information when conducting investigations and identifying remains.

In collaboration with experts representing State and local law enforcement, policymakers, forensic scientists, medical examiners and coroners, and crime victims, the U.S. Department of Justice has developed model State legislation. This model legislation seeks to address the national problems of missing persons and the identification of human remains.

For cases involving missing persons, law enforcement's ability to locate and ensure a safe return must be improved. Law enforcement must be granted additional tools to identify high-risk missing persons cases and promptly disseminate critical information to other law enforcement agencies and the public. This model legislation provides framework for improving law enforcement's response.

It suggests ways States can improve the collection of critical information about missing persons, prioritize high-risk missing persons cases, and ensure prompt dissemination of critical information to other law enforcement agencies and the public that can improve the likelihood of a safe return. At the same time, this model legislation suggests an approach for collecting information during the missing persons reporting process that can later be used to help identify human remains.

The model legislation will also ensure that information that could help identify human remains is promptly collected and reported to national databases. Specifically, the model legislation suggests a mechanism for improving death scene investigations, centralizing within the State the reporting of unidentified remains, ensuring the delivery of human remains to an entity that can conduct an appropriate examination, ensuring the timely reporting of identifying information to national databases, and maximizing available resources that can reduce the cost of identifications.

There are an estimated 40,000-50,000 unidentified deceased persons in the US. Many of these persons may be reported missing, but without the model legislation in place as law, this number will continue to grow. This leaves families of the missing without answers, sometimes for years, and unfortunately, sometimes forever.

With more than 100,000+ missing persons cases open in the US, it is clear that we must place more importance upon actions taken that will decrease this number. We are, after all, not talking about numbers, but about human beings. These missing persons are loved and missed by their families. We need to take swift and firm action to put into place laws which will give these families hope and increase the number who come back home.

As my state representative, I ask you to strongly consider sponsoring this bill in the next legislative session. Thank you.

Sincerely,

XXXX XXXXX
Address/Email


So go ahead, copy, paste and change the world...the productive, yet simple way.



For all the details:
http://www.projectjason.org/legislation.html

http://peace4missing.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2153128%3ABlogPost%3A6909

Carol Batten Dowless

Whiteville, North Carolina is a small rural town situated west of Wilmington on Hwy 74 in Columbus County and not far from the border of South Carolina. It is surrounded by small communities most likely named for family farms such as Wyatts Crossroads, Wooten's Crossroads, Smith Crossroads, and many others. It's in this area that the Batten family owns horse pastures and where Carol "Prissy" Batten Dowless' vehicle was found in the early morning on September 4, 2005.



It is reported that Carol, known as Prissy, had gone missing a couple other times in the past, but she was located before reports to police would be filed. Prissy and her husband Jamie Dowless had 4 children, the oldest, Prissy's from a previous relationship and the youngest just 3 months old when her mother vanished.

There were the usual arguments in the marriage, but no domestic violence reports were ever made, and Jamie moved near his parents with all 4 children after Prissy went missing. Carol's father, Roger Batten, a long haul trucker, is still very involved with his grandchildren, and has stated that is one of the reasons he gets upset. Explanations to young children are difficult when there are no answers.

There have been several conflicting reports of the events on September 4, 2005, and according to the detective, the case has virtually hit a brick wall. They desperately need new clues to continue to move forward in the investigation.

Four young children wait and wonder, and will for a very long time, for answers to questions no one can answer. The mystery continues, did Prissy just walk away from her children and family that early morning? Her father talked to her that morning around 1am on the same cell phone that was found later broken in pieces. Did someone pick her up and leave with her? her husband reported hearing a vehicle leave their home around 5am.

If Prissy is out there somewhere, her family just wants to know that she is alright.

The family of Carol Batten Dowless will be honoring her and bringing attention to her case on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 by sponsoring a stop on the Cue Center Road To Remember Tour. Hopefully many members of the community will meet at the WalMart parking lot in Whiteville and support this family and the Cue Center.

http://www.whiteville.com/pages/2006WEBPAGES/SEPTEMBER2006/9.4.06/news3mon.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dowless_carol.html

http://www.nampn.org/cases/dowless_carol_batten.html

http://www.columbusco.org/DotNetNuke_2/Default.aspx?alias=www.columbusco.org/dotnetnuke_2/sheriff

http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/ (Cue Center)

UPDATES

Missing Persons billboard generates tips to find Dowless

Oct. 15, 2008

There has been a major break in the murder case of a Columbus County woman. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office has arrested and charged a man with first-degree murder is in the case of Carol Batten Dowless. The man in custody is the victim's husband, Jamie Lee Dowless. The charges follow Monday's positive identification of her remains. The remains were found within weeks of putting up a billboard with her picture. The positive identification of Carol Batten Dowless' remains brings little closure to her friends and family. “When I go to bed tonight, my mama's not coming back. When I wake up in the morning she's not going to be there,” said Denise Batten, Carol’s daughter. While they now know it was in fact her body found in a wooded area in Chadbourn, questions still remains. Carol’s father, Roger Batten said, “I want to know why and everything that brought this on. I don't want to have no secret having to wonder how it happened or nothing like that.” A billboard unveiled September 10th, played a key part in generating tips as to where her body might be. “That was a real big help. We waited three years and within twenty days of the bill board going up we knew,” said Mr. Batten. Within just 16 days of its unveiling, the Columbus County Sheriff's Office found Dowless' remains about a quarter mile from her family home. That two weeks cracked a three year, missing persons case. The Cue Center for Missing Persons raised more a thousand dollars for the billboard. “Billboards kind-of replace that effort where you’re constantly putting out posters. It is a great effort, but after weather and time, they get taken down. A billboard sort of replaces that because it’s in your face and it’s life-sized,” said Monica Caison of the Cue Center. The billboard is being credited by Columbus County detectives with helping lead to a suspect in this three-year-old case. Columbus County coroner said he can not determine the exact cause of Carol Dowless' death, but that foul play had been definitely involved.

Dowless pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in wife's death

Feb. 28, 2011

WHITEVILLE, N.C. – A Columbus County man pleaded guilty to the 2005 death of his wife. Jamey Dowless was arrested in 2008 and charged with killing his wife, Carol Batten-Dowless.

Carol Batten-Dowless was murdered in Sept. 2005. Her Remains were found three years later. In 2008, a tip led Columbus County Sheriff's deputies to a wooded area outside of Whiteville where they found her remains.

The remains were found just down the street from her father's home. Authorities say Batten-Dowless was strangled to death after a fight with her husband.

Jamey Dowless was arrested in Oct. 2008 about three weeks after his wife's remains were found. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the case last week. He will serve between 94 and 122 months in prison. 

However, the 34-year-old has 860-day credit for time served since his arrest reducing the minimum time down to 65 months. 

Carol, who was nicknamed "Prissy", left behind four girls.

http://triangle.news14.com/content/local_news/coastal/637429/dowless-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-wife-s-death

Rachel Conger

I have copied this entry, with permission, from the blog http://bringrachelhome.blogspot.com. I felt that it described the events better than I could myself, and Rachel's daughter, 13 year old Amber, speaks her words.

As a footnote to this entry, Amber was able to reach her $4000 goal by organizing her fundraisers. A search was performed Saturday, August 9. Rachel is still missing and Amber needs our encouragement and support.


One Henry County Daughter’s Effort to Find Missing Mother
Press Release

On Thursday, March 13, 2008, thirteen-year-old Amber Simmons awoke to a day that would change her life forever. Her mother, Rachel Conger, was missing and Amber has since been doing everything that she can to help find her mother. On April 13, Amber organized a candlelight vigil at the Henry County Court House to honor and pray for her mother to be found. Since the first month of her mother’s disappearance, Amber has since turned her attention to raising money to bring in professional search organizations to help find her mother, Rachel Conger.

Her daughter, Amber, is the driving force behind each event to help find her mother whom she dearly misses. She had this to say to the community; ''I really want my mom found; she means the world to me. What 13 year old would not want their mom found? I am appreciative for what everyone has done to support us & help search for my mom. I ask for your continued support to help bring her home.''

On June 27, Amber organized a car wash at Advanced Auto Parts that raised $500. When faced with needing to reach an initial goal of $4000.00, Amber got to work organizing two more fundraisers. On July 12, the “Bring Rachel Home” bake sale was held at E.W. James & Sons, and raised $834.00 and on July 26; the “Bring Rachel Home” yard sale raised $550.00. In the planning stages is a benefit concert, which is set to be held on August 23rd, at Casey Jones Village/Old Country Store Amphitheater in Jackson, TN (more details about performers and the time that concert starts will be available in the next several days).

All proceeds from the fundraisers will help cover the immediately needed travel expenses for their upcoming Search & Rescue set for Aug 9th. United Response Search & Rescue Organization has offered the family their assistance with Law Enforcement in search efforts for missing Rachel Conger. They are a Texas based Non-Profit Search & Rescue Organization who aid in searches for missing children & adults nationwide. Their search is set for August 4-10th, with a volunteer community search on August 9th. It will take the community's continued support to help them reach their $4,000 urgently needed goal for ongoing search and rescue efforts.


They are asking for volunteer searchers from the public on Saturday, August 9th. Please spread the word, as we need about 250- 300 volunteers to help aid us in our efforts. More details will be available soon. We are also in need of food and water donations for that day. If willing to donate meals or drinks, please contact:
bringrachelcongerhome@hotmail.com

Newly added to their site, is a heart tugging beautiful music video tribute slide show, in honor of missing Rachel. To learn more about missing Rachel Conger or to make a contribution please visit: http://bringrachelhome.blogspot.com

Cynthia Louise Day

For two young girls about to embark into their own grownup lives in 1990, one just giving her mother a new grandchild, the other just 18, the turn of events would shape the women they have become today. Cynthia Louise Day just packed everything she owned and walked out of her life as a mother and grandmother. For the next 18 years, two women are left with a series of "whys"?

Many things were happening in Cynthia's life at the time. She witnessed the death of her brother, allegedly a suicide, but perhaps Cynthia knew the truth of what really happened. Cynthia was into a long term relationship that was somehow turning sour, her boyfriend disappearing the same day, and it was obvious they left together.

Melody and Kimberly did what any family would do and contacted East St. Louis Police and reported Cynthia missing, hoping that their mother would be found somewhere and reunited with her daughters and grandchild. Months turned into years, and assuming that police were investigating the case, calling each time a body was found, they went on with their lives.

In 2004, wanting to get her mother registered with different agencies and set up a website to honor her, Melody found that the police had never opened up an investigation on Cynthia's disappearence and no missing person's report was filed.

Over the years and through many other twists and turns, Cynthia's boyfriend was located in prison, now paroled, but he swears he knows nothing about her vanishing, and no law enforcement agency has thoroughly investigated his claims of innocence.

So the hunt continues, on and on, for a mother and grandmother who is a piece of the heart of a family left to wonder where she might be and what happened to her. A family who loves her and misses her and will continue the hunt until they no longer can.

From Investigation Discovery:

When asked what she would like to say to her mother, Melody responded:

"I love and miss you so much. I am still looking for you all these years later and will continue to look for you until I find you. You have a beautiful family that is still hopeful. We will do whatever we can to keep your memory alive."

Melody has also asked me to pass on these memories of her mother, Cynthia:

"My mother was the best in our eyes!!! She was so very compassionate and loved by many. Whenever her name is brought up (of course it still is :), everyone smiles. She was a neat freak and passed it on to "some" family members. :) Organization was very important in her life. This is one reason we know she would never leave on her own accord without notifying at least one family member... Mother is missed soooooo much by her family that we still can't imagine life without her 18 years later...."

Daughter of missing Cynthia Day

Please join us in supporting the search efforts of Cynthia Louise Day.

http://www.peace4missing.ning.com

http://investigation.discovery.com/blogs/criminal-report/missing-person/cynthia_louise_day-02.html

http://www.findcynthia.com/

http://www.myspace.com/findcynthialday

Motherless Children

One of our special members at Peace 4 the Missing posted this excerpt and I felt that it is so appropriate for this blog where I try to bring the readers the stories of motherless children. I seem to run across more motherless daughters than sons, probably because this blog is written from a woman's perspective, but I think it also applies to sons who have lost their mothers also.

I hope that it brings you the comfort that it brought to me and to others in our group.






An excerpt from the book entitled: "Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss".

Nature often offers metaphors more elegant than we can manufacture. In the redwood ecosystem, all seeds are contained in pods called burls, tough brown clumps that grow where the mother tree's trunk and root system meet. When the mother tree is logged, blown over, or destroyed by fire the trauma stimulates the burls' growth hormones. The seeds release, and trees sprout around her, creating the circle of daughters. The daughter trees grow by absorbing the sunlight their mother cedes to them when she dies. And they get the moisture and nutrients they need from their mother's root system, which remains intact even after her leaves die.

Although the daughters exist independently of their mother above ground, they continue to draw sustenance from her underneath. I am fooling only myself when I say my mother exists now only in the photograph on my bulletin board or in the outline of my hand or in the armful of memories I still hold tight. She lives on beneath everything I do. Her presence influenced who I was, and her absence influences who I am. Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide.


Please visit us here, take a look around, and if you feel like it is a place where you can find comfort or support from others, please join us.
http://www.peace4missing.ning.com