Prayers for Mia's Family

I have this friend. Her name is Lori and we've been friends since we were four years old. For those of you inclined towards math that's a really long time. Our parents are super close, most of their kids are the same ages as ours, Lori's big sisters used to be my babysitters and her sister Ami was meant to marry my brother Mike. Sure they were kids but still it was a big deal. Our friendship has definitely had its ups and downs but we are the kind of friends who will always have a bond--Lori is that friend for me that helped define my childhood. When I think of Tallahassee I immediately think of Lori and her family and thanks to the goodness of Facebook we've all reconnected in the last few years. On Saturday afternoon after my major meltdown-post-failed photo shoot-disaster I sat in my car trying to avoid bursting into tears and checked my E-mail and found a whole different reason to cry. One of my messages was from Lori telling her friends about her cousin Mia who had been kidnapped and was still missing. She was asking for those outside of the Florida area to be on the lookout and also to keep Mia in our prayers. All weekend I checked my E-mail and Facebook constantly waiting for updates and good news. I read an article about the search and Mia's mom was quoted as saying that she was so stunned that at a time when gas prices were so high and people were so busy that thousands of people were out driving and looking for her daughter--that they'd already had their Christmas miracle of seeing their community come together.

Unfortunately this story ends terribly and this morning my mom called to tell me that they had found Mia's body and were able to identify her via dental records. My heart aches for my friends and for their loss and I wish so much I could be there to wrap my arms around them and to help take away their pain. I can't run away to Florida but I can do one thing. I can pray for their family to have peace and I can pray for other kinds of Christmas miracles. If you read this and are someone who prays maybe you too can pray for my friends and for some of their pain to be lifted.