To the editor:
I have been struggling to find the words to express my sincere gratitude for the response to our cry for help when our son went missing. I wish to thank all of the emergency personnel and the friends and neighbors who were here that night and the next morning.
My dear friend summarized our experience that night as follows:
“In small towns, when a little boy is lost in thick woods and night has fallen, everyone helps. We show up, we spell each other, we sit with kids and man phones … We hold hands, we bring flashlights and headlamps. We call the neighbor. We make coffee. We lend sweaters and trucks. We open the gas station after midnight and dispense gas to ATVs and vehicles patrolling the woods and roads, without payment. We burn outside lights bright to guide the way. We hug easy and often and hard. We pass on updates, pray, listen for search dog barks, drive dark stretches of woods roads over and over. We pick each other up off the ground. We hang on, go home, try to rest, stay for support, come back at dawn. We brainstorm. We share knowledge. We stick together. We hug, hold, brace, run interference, curse, shout, listen. We read faces and worry. We sob with joy. We hug, hold, laugh, thank, and move apart, but never completely.
Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
She has said it better than I could. We feel very fortunate to live in this small town surrounded by such caring people. With many thanks!
Sigrid and Kurt Houlette
Westmanland
