Cindy Lou Who

Well, I now know exactly how Cindy Lou Who feels in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".

Thursday morning was a normal day. I left my house around nine and headed to one of my nursing homes to deliver Christmas gifts. I was there several hours and returned to my house in between stops for a short lunch break. I opened the garage door, and while on the phone with Jalee, walked into my house with the dogs barking wildly at the door. I thought this was out of character for them, but figured they were just excited to see me home. While finishing up my conversation with Jalee, I started to look around the floor in the living room and master bedroom... there were clothes scattered everywhere, trash all over the floor, and couch cushions overturned. My initial thought was "Stupid dogs!" I thought they were the guilty culprits. As I started walking more into the living room, I realized the TV was gone. Thats when I knew... "Jalee, I have to let you go! I think my house has been broken into... everything is gone." We got off the phone and I called 911. I was walking around the house trying to make sense of everything. 911 told me I needed to get out of the house and I went outside to call Stephen. I felt lost. Absolutely lost.

When the officer arrived, we went back into the house and made a list of everything that was gone. Every single electronic that we owned, guns, baby stuff, autographed OU Heisman winners football, the keys to my Camaro... the list goes on and on. The robbers put a knife and box knife by the garage door, waiting for someone to walk in. It amazes me how careless people like this can be and what disregard they have for the respect and hard work of others.

It's been a rough few days. But I can be thankful that Stephen and I weren't home, that Baby G is safe, the dogs were left here (and although traumatized) they were not hurt. I am so thankful to God that we weren't home. I never imagined this could ever happen to us. I guess I have been so sheltered growing up in a town like Marlow where you leave your front door unlocked all the time and the keys in the ignition.

Why is it that people steal from others? Why can't they get a REAL job? Why violate someone's privacy by entering their home without permission? Why be prepared to kill or hurt someone for coming into their own home? Why be prepared to defend the property you are STEALING against the person who OWNS it? I don't understand so many things about what has happened.

To sum up my feelings over the past two days... YES. I feel like Cindy Lou Who... the Grinch came back for the crumbs. They took everything of value that we own. BUT... they DIDN'T take my family away from me. At the end of The Grinch, he realizes that he could take everything they own, but they would still have Christmas. Life is not about what you own... yes, things are nice. But life is about being surrounded by people you love and who love you back. Things can be replaced... Stephen can't.