A Requiem for Innocence Lost

My foray into blogging began around Christmas in 2002. That was when Laci Peterson was discovered missing and consequently found murdered and discarded by her husband Scott. She was very pregnant with their first child, a son to be named Connor. Blissfully happy and hopefully oblivious to her husband's double life, she was, by all accounts, a wonderfully vivacious person with a scintillating personality.

The type of girl that we all know - so pretty, yet you can't hate her for it because she is so much fun, so thoughtful and so loving. Her husband was ready to move on and attempted to do so by killing her and throwing her and his unborn son in the bay - fastened to the floor of the ocean by home made concrete anchors. He is now serving time in prison for their deaths.

The story touched me in a way no other true crime story had. I was emotionally involved in this one and searched for every bit of information I could. I found blogs that discussed the case and the people involved and read them every chance I got.

Very few of my friends could understand why I was so addicted to this case. I wasn't sure myself. But I think I could understand Laci - the pure excitement of impending motherhood - especially for the very first time, the fun of preparing the nursery and the love you feel for the baby before you even get to hold him in your arms. All these emotions were still very real to me because Small Pants had just been born at the end of August in 2002. In fact, as we all sat around the den that morning opening presents, the news came on about her "missing" the night before and her smiling face was flashed up on the screen. Along with the immediate her husband did it thoughts, I also felt a huge sense of sadness and loss. I looked at Small Pants, just staring at the blinking tree and smiling - wrapping paper flying by his head flung by his older brother. My family was complete and our home was full of love. This girl's family was forever broken and would never know this happiness.

Every Christmas, I think of Laci and Connor. A mixture of sadness and thankfulness comes over me and I hug my boys even tighter. I think about how my baby is only a little older than hers would have been. If you know nothing about this case, I encourage you to read a little about it. Her smile spoke volumes and her mother, brother and fathers (step and birth) gave such touching stories and memories of a woman we wished we had known under other circumstances. It is hard not to think about Laci and her sweet baby she never was able to hold in her arms and not think about the innocence that was stolen from her. I won't go into details on the case, the circumstances or the truly gory details because it is a disservice to what we should be remembering. We should remember the smile, the hope, the joy and the lives of promise that were taken and not take those we have for granted.

My home is full of laughter, love, a wonderful husband and two beautiful children that I am ever so thankful for. May you all have a very Merry Christmas surrounded by those you love.