Letter

To the THIEF who took OUR stuff,

Well, you got me! I learned a very expensive lesson yesterday. One I was so naive and thought I would be spared from learning I suppose. What in your head (obviously you have no heart) told you it was OKAY for you to come into someone else's home and take things that do NOT belong to you? I guess you didn't think that my CHILDREN would be the ones to notice things were missing before me. That they would be coming in the house before I did. My poor 8 year olds face was so startled and confused- I'll never forget it. It gives me chills to think what would have happened had you still been here when they ran into their safe haven- their HOME! You have completely rocked their innocent little world. You not only took something physical from us- you took something psychological too and from my BABIES. I think I am more disgusted by you for this. I can replace a TV and computer- but I can not give my children their feeling of confidence and trust that they are okay in their own HOME. Maybe you didn't think that someone worked very hard to purchase those two items. I'm sure you have no regard for the fact that my husband's laptop was in the living room because after WORKING one of his TWO jobs, he sat down to relax in HIS HOME and watch HIS television and check the weather on HIS computer to see if he would be able to fly at his SECOND job on Wednesday. You see, he risks HIS life every week to help other people, even people like you. Ironic, don't you think? If you or someone you love were to need medical attention quickly, it would be the very person you stole from -or his friends- that would be there to help your sorry ass. Did it make you feel big to take something that you didn't earn? I give my kids allowance every week- they have to do chores to EARN it and they would never take something that didn't belong to them. Did I mention they are 8 and 4. Maybe your mother never taught you that....sadly. My 8 year old suggested we find you and "go steal our stuff back" but I told her we couldn't "steal" anything. If the police found it then we could have it back, otherwise, it isn't ours anymore. Then my 4 year old said "The bad man (she just assumes you are a man) should have asked nicely. He should have asked to BORROW our TV. And he should have said PLEASE." Wow! If only you had some of my 4 year olds knowledge and honesty and integrity and kindness. I hope that you needed that TV and laptop so desperately it was a live or die situation for you. In that case, I'm so glad we could help. I'm sure that wasn't the case though. I don't know what you did with it. I don't care. We are looking forward to picking out our new TV. We have decided it is going to be bigger- so big it won't fit so easily out the front door for you next time. I always thought that wall was too big not to have a bigger TV on it, what did you think? I also am further convinced amidst this that we have the absolute best neighbors ever. You see, before the police cars had turned off our street, two of my neighbors were already bringing over an extra TV for us to use. That's what people do. They do unto others... Maybe today you will be back in school (I can't help but think you were a kid out of school on Veterans Day- did you know my husband is a VETERAN? Yep, that's right, he is a man of service- even for people like you- and that is how you say "Thanks"....) or maybe, here's an idea, you will go get a JOB and make your own money so you can buy your own things. At the end of the day, my family is safe and those "things" you took can be replaced. We will be okay, my girls are shaken up and will probably be in our bed for a few nights. I sure did treasure cuddling with them last night and watching them as they slept. I can't help but think if you knew them at least, you would never have wanted them to feel afraid in their HOME. But then again, I would think you would have never taken something that wasn't yours....

Sincerely,
the woman of the house who may have left the front door unlocked and wasn't home because I was taking my 3 precious girls to lunch at McDonald's and shopping for my sisters new baby something special on their day out of school

P.S. I REALLY wish you would have grabbed the digital camera. It quit working this past weekend and we have been shopping for a new one. Of course you wouldn't have known that til you were long gone. Then I could have filed that too on my claim- we're just too honest to do that, though.