Missing Child - John Reece

Missing child...that news would strike terror in the heart of any parent or grandparent. Like this morning. I left my grandson in the fenced backyard to play and when I went to check on him he wasn't there. My first reaction was panic. Where could he have gone? When I checked in the front yard I didn't see him either. But when I called, he appeared from beneath the porch where he was busily gathering up broken bricks and piling them in his wheelbarrow. My sigh of relief was audible!

When our son John Reece was reported missing in Hawaii, we did not panic, nor did terror strike our hearts. We had great peace even though he had gone hiking in one of the most treacherous and dangerous areas one could imagine. In fact, when we looked at photos of the area on the internet, our hearts stopped for a second. The 3000 foot cliffs were almost vertical. How could one even hike in an area like that?

But we didn't panic. After all, he was from a long line of adventurers. His father had taken a trip down the Trinity River all alone when he was 17. After a week, he made the headlines instead of JFK on the anniversary of the JFK assasination. They were dredging the river for him and he was completely oblivious to the fact that anyone might even be missing him.

At least John had told us where he was going and what his plans were. And we had no reason to think that things would not turn out just fine and dandy for him just as they had for his father.

For the whole story, see Aloha is Forever (as an e-book).

I welcome your comments - what would your reaction be if you got the news that your child or grandchild was missing.