Natalee Case Discussion #832 4/22/10 - 6/2/10

[Tamikosmom]

Tamikosmom and 23 Guests are viewing this board.

12:35 AM PT

[klaasend]

FYI

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000717925522&v=wall&ref=ts

[2NJSons_Mom]

[2NJSons_Mom]

FYI

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000717925522&v=wall&ref=ts

Interesting, Klaas.

[klaasend]

Yeah, looks like Melody became facebook friends with Dan yesterday.     Dan likely requested it and Melody figured why not, she used to talk to Dan all the time right?

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Loving Natalee - Beth Holloway

Page 14-15:  On Thursday May 26, 2005, Natalee came into my bedroom at three o'clock in the morning to tell me it was almost time to go. Everyone was gathering at a friend's house for the ride to the airport. My job was to pick everyone up at the airport when they returned on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2005.

While Natalee was going to be out of town, Jug was going to his lake house to visit with his family and friends. In our marriage, the second for both of us, we rarely vacationed together. My son, Matt, had made his own plans with friends for the weekend, so it was the perfect time for me to take a much-needed, overdue trip to my family's lake house in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I had not been there in a very long time. Birmingham is about nine hours away, so it was just too long a drive since moving here to make the trip on a regular basis. I was very much looking forward to visiting with my family. Everyone's plans were made.

In the wee hours on this Thursday morning Natalee and I loaded her things in the back of the car and headed off to her friend's house. It was very dark at that hour, and we were both only half awake. But we did talk some. Small talk. We reviewed what she had packed, going through a mental checklist of passport, cash, camera, sunscreen, and the like. When we arrived at her friend's house, she came to life. The adventure she had been excitedly awaiting for months was finally about to begin. She jumped out of the car and bounced to the back to get her bag. I got out and walked around the car to help her. She gathered her things and looked up long enough for me to kiss her on the cheek.

"I love you! Have a great time!" I told her.

She replied, "Bye, Mom! Love you!" and slung her purple duffel bag over her shoulder.

The bag made her walk slightly bent to its opposite side. I got back in the car as she made her way up the long walkway to the front door. Turning the car around to leave, I stopped and looked back over my shoulder to see her go inside. The front door of the house opened just wide enough for her to slip in. I saw her silhouette in the beam of light that shone from inside. The light narrowed as the door closed, then disappeared completely. It was pitch-black again. I drove away not knowing that would be the last time I would ever see Natalee.

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Loving Natalee - Beth Holloway

Page 200:  My child.  My beautiful daughter.  I can't save her.  It's too late.  Natalee is gone. And second to the great tragedy of losing her is if we fail to learn from what has happened.

I could be any parent in the world.  And no parent should ever go through this experience.  Natalee could be anyone's daughter.  And in these thoughts a new path is made clear.  There is something I can do.  Many people reached out to us, and I can now reach back to them.  It might be too late to save Natalee, but it's not too late to save others.  And it's time now to make good on my pledge to stand before high-school and college students, law enforcement professinals, victims' rights groups, travelers of all ages, and anyone interested in personal safety to share Natalee's story and our hard lessons, so that others might learn from them.

Pages 209/210:   Bad things happen everywhere.  But the difference we need to consider when something bad happens outside the country is the help available for the victims and their families.  When we leave these borders, we leave behind all the privileges and rights we're all accustomed to and often take for granted.  We have expectations that there will be a safety net of law-abiding official, no matter where we travel, or that our US embassy will come to our rescue.  But that's terribly naive ...

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Loving Natalee - Beth Holloway

Page 219: In each city I have the privilege to speak to several high schools, churches, or law enforcement and civic groups.  This translates to thousands of youths and adults.  Delivering this safety mesage is my triumph over devastation.  If gives me great joy and is tremendously rewarding work.  I think that I can bear the pain of losing Natalee if it means that I can prevent another family from going through our tragic experience.  If even just one young person in tens of thousands is saved, then it's well worth it.

I ask young people to make a conscious decision to stay safe.  They have to make the choice.  And I'm not asking them do anything more than I ask myself.  I have to make difficult choices every day.  I have to make a conscious decision every morning when I wake up not to be bitter, not to live in resentment and let anger control me.  It's not easy.  I ask God to help me.  And I know it's not easy for young people to think about choosing not to get into a situation in which they can't defend themselves.  But we all have to make hard choices.  Every day.

[wreck]

Yeah, looks like Melody became facebook friends with Dan yesterday.     Dan likely requested it and Melody figured why not, she used to talk to Dan all the time right?

Does Dan remotely even cover Natalee anymore??

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Loving Natalee - Beth Holloway

Page 232:  Without hope we are hungry. And on a very deep level, desperate. But no one has to be. What's so amazing is that we can feed each other. We can help each other. We have the power to give resilience to others who are fading. We can nourish each other's spirits and save one another from defeat and despair. Every one of us possesses this power to "love thy neighbor," and we need to use it every chance we get.

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Loving Natalee - Beth Holloway

Page 226:  As each Mother's Day, spring break, and anniversary marking Natalee's disappearance draw near, reporter and producers whose names and voices are still as familiar as family call to check in.  They ask how Matt and I are doing.  The media occasionally ask for an interview, and want to know if I've heard anything from Aruba.  The answer is always the same.  It's my prayer that the unprecedented media attention heaped on our tragedy will somehow have a positive impact on coverage of other missing-person cases.

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Loving Natalee - Beth Holloway

Page 231-232: I can't say for sure if we'll ever know that answer to whether my daughter is alive or not.  I know it doesn't look good.  But just as that old metal spiral staircase rose from the ashes when our lake house burned down, so too faith stands strong in the remains of this devastating loss.  And just as my Dad built another house around that staircase, I will build another life around hope and faith.  It won't ever be the same.  But I pray that it will, at the very least, be useful.

The hope that filled Natalee's heart fills mine, and I will press on.  Faith got me up this morning, and faith will see me through tomorrow.  And the next day.  And the next.

I love Natalee and miss her very much.  And still fantasize about the possibility that one day a call will come telling me that I need to go to the island.  To get her.  I want to always be prepared for that imaginary call.  So I keep my passport with me at all times.  And right next to mine is Natalee's.

Just in case.

[klaasend]

Yeah, looks like Melody became facebook friends with Dan yesterday.     Dan likely requested it and Melody figured why not, she used to talk to Dan all the time right?

Does Dan remotely even cover Natalee anymore??

I don't know Wreck.  I suppose if there were some actual news he would but I don't check there. 

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder


Beth Holloway:

They never—they never wanted to implicate these three young men.  They never wanted to implicate them from the beginning. And there is a list of reasons, you know, why we know that is true.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9796403/from/RL.2/

[texasmom]

FYI

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000717925522&v=wall&ref=ts

Thanks Klaas!   

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Beth Holloway:

We did everything we could in looking for her. There was a government coverup, and it has been documented.

http://www.jonesborosun.com/story.php?ID=25809

[wreck]

Yeah, looks like Melody became facebook friends with Dan yesterday.     Dan likely requested it and Melody figured why not, she used to talk to Dan all the time right?

Does Dan remotely even cover Natalee anymore??

I don't know Wreck.  I suppose if there were some actual news he would but I don't check there. 

Me either -- that is why I asked!! 

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Beth Holloway:

It's quiet in the room when i add, 'Oh, come on. Everyone knows there was a cover-up.' And to this, Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, shrugs his shoulders, nods in the affirmative, and says softly, 'Yes...yes there was'.

Loving Natalee - Page 194

[Tamikosmom]

FIVE YEARS LATER

Reminder

Beth Holloway:

We cannot forget to demand and expect to have Natalee.  Natalee deserves to return to her country.  She  deserves it, and everyone knows it, every single person.  Every single person knows that.  They know it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8485029/

[texasmom]

Natalee's movie will be shown Thursday night.   

http://www.mylifetime.com/lifetime-tv-schedule