There are moments in every person's life that literally shape who we are and who we're going to be.   While sometimes wonderful, those moments can often be tragic and heart wrenching.  But they are moments of opportunity. A time to reflection and a chance to steer the direction of your journey.  Those moments become etched in our minds and branded on our hearts.  Nineteen years ago today I had one of those moments. 

The blend on the 2005 Maximus is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 11% Syrah. The wine opens with aromas of dark cocoa, plum, ripe black cherry and subtle hints of vanilla. On the palate the wine displays flavors of black cherry, plum, blueberry and subtle layers of cinnamon, nutmeg and cedar. With elegant, velvety tannins that enhance the mouthfeel, the wine has a long fruit driven finish and pairs well with practically everything. 
A 90 point Wine Spectator pleasure - give it a try!

WHERE ARE YOU JACOB?

Jacob Wetterling - 11 Years Old in 1989 - STILL MISSING

On October 22, 1989, Jacob Wetterling was abducted. Jacob was only 11 years old.  He was kidnapped by his home in St. Joseph, MN (just west of St. Cloud by a 10 minute drive).  Jacob, his brother Trevor and a friend were bicycling home from a convenience store (out to rent a movie) when a masked gunman came out of a driveway and ordered the boys to throw their bikes into a ditch and lie down on the ground. The gunman asked each boy his age. Jacob's brother and friend were told to run toward a nearby wooded area and not look back or else he would shoot them. After a short run, both boys did look back and saw the gunman grab Jacob and walk away. As of today, the whereabouts of Jacob and the gunman are unknown.

Nineteen years ago today.  A tragic moment in time created an opportunity for our state and its citizens to question how we value children. Jacob's disappearance became a real loss of innocence for Minnesota. Our state, long considered middle-America with a deep sense of family and community. If it could happen in St. Joseph, MN, it could happen anywhere.

Jacob playing one of the sports he loves - hockey

I'm haunted by the loss of Jacob Wetterling. I can't believe that since that time there hasn't been a crack in the case or an answer for his family. People throw around the phrase "life isn't fair" sometimes to explain bad things that happen to good people.  But I cannot imagine the depths of injustice for this child and the ache in the hearts of the Wetterling family every day....for 19 years.

I know the Wetterling family.  Jacob was someone I had known as a small boy during my college years. Having suffered a fall down a fraternity staircase while being carried by an old college boyfriend (not a proud moment to be sure) I wound up at the St. Cloud hospital with a concussion and sprained neck. The doctor suggested I receive physical therapy and the following Monday, I met chiropractor Jerry Wetterling at his home office. Until I graduated the following year, when I came for my appointments, a little boy often greeted me on a big wheel and I watched him (or heard him) playing in the yard or in the house. That boy was Jacob.

Fast forward to October 22, 1989: I was pulling into my driveway after work when I heard the news reports of a missing child.  Why was the name of the little boy so familiar? Then it hit me.  It was Dr. Wetterling's son. The boy who was kidnapped was the sweet little boy I remembered fondly,  with a devilish smile and boundless energy; it was horrifying! 

Like serendipity, I received a phone call at work a day or two later.  I was working in the HR offices of Northwest Airlines and a caller introduced himself as a friend of the Wetterlings. Could NWA help distribute flyers of Jacob to destinations across the country? I walked down the hall to the Director of Security.  I spoke to him personally about the request and I told him I knew this family and they were good people.  I thought they deserved any and all the help we could provide and without hesitation, he agreed.  That's how it all started.

Through phone calls back and forth to the ‘command center' in St. Joe, I coordinated efforts on behalf of the airline and tried my best to be instrumental in assisting their efforts. At some point I met with Patty and Jerry and offered my personal support.   They were so very appreciative.  Through my position at work, I was able to solicit help from other interested employees and within a few months, I had formed a group called "Jacob's Wings".   What I didn't know at first was that Jacob also had family working at NWA. That's when I first met Jacob's aunt and uncle - appreciative, wonderful people. Over the years our organization flew to different cities around the country and handed out information about Jacob and other missing children. Our group's mission was HOPE.  Hope we could help find missing children and to educate the public on the issues surrounding child abduction.

Jacob's 1st Age Enhanced Photo - What he may look like at 19 - STILL MISSING
courtesy of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

NWA's organization grew over the years and we were able to create events that helped families both locally and nationally.  Along with Patty Wetterling (who I'd now gotten to know quite well)  a core group of us were invited to visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington D.C.   We met with Ernie Allen, the Director of the NCMEC and together with an FBI specialist, we were presented with invaluable information and trained on the complex issues of child abduction and vulnerable youth.  We were also granted a private tour of the FBI crime labs and educated on the issue of child abduction from a national perspective.  As time went on, I continued to work with Jacob's Wings and I was appointed to the board of directors for the Jacob Wetterling Foundation (even serving as the board's president for several years).  I'm proud of these accomplishments, yet I know so much work is still needed to keep children safe. 

Remember - when Jacob was abducted there were no home computers, home faxes, cell phone, or Ipods.  The world is a very different place, much of it good.  But we have to continue to strive to stay one step ahead of people out there with the time, resources and opportunities to hurt children.

Jacob's age enhancement - 30 years of age - STILL MISSING
courtesy of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Nineteen years ago today. That moment shaped who I became as a person in many ways.  Jacob's story touched my heart in a way I could not anticipate - and his status as still missing is as unacceptable today as it was back then.  I was a young, newly married girl with no children.  I couldn't  fully appreciate the depth of loss I could now understand as a mother today.  Yet through the eyes of Patty & Jerry (people I knew for a brief period in my life) I felt driven to help. Because I got involved, my life has always been richer.

My life has changed a lot since then.  I'm the mother of 3 busy boys with never-ending chaotic schedules.    I've stepped back from the leadership roles I once had because as Patty showed me, family should always come first.  But I've carried the experience with me and I continue to support the work of the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center  (the new foundation name).  My three sons are now 16, 14 and 11.  The youngest being the same age Jacob was when he was abducted.   I look into my children's eyes and I can't imagine them "out there" at the hands of a real monster.  I can't fathom not knowing where they are or what's become of them.  Dead or alive, I would ache to know the truth.

Patty Wetterling - Jacob's Mom
Mother * Child Advocate * National Hero

But what I also can't imagine is the strength, the power and the ability to stay focused that Patty Wetterling still has, in spite of her personal grief.  She is a hero; a hero for our community, our state and our nation. Despite her gut wrenching tragedy, she chose a very public path and continues to be brave on behalf of all missing children and their families.  She has been brave enough to ask the tough questions and shine a light on the issues of missing children.  She's made real changes for the benefit of all families in this country and her legacy as an advocate for missing children will forever be a gold standard by which many will follow, but few will succeed with such passion and clarity. 

Nineteen years ago today.  I still can't believe it.  It's a moment frozen in time for me forever.  I thought today's blog was worth shining the light back on Jacob.  I pray for an answer for Jacob, for the Wetterlings and for everyone touched by a missing child.

Today, the organization founded in Jacob's name is known as "The Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC). It is an authorized provider of prevention education and incident assistance in collaboration with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).  As one of the founding task force members that worked to launch the A.M.B.E.R Plan in Minnesota in 2002, JWRC continues to provide advocacy and expertise to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension through the A.M.B.E.R. Task Force, which continues to operate. JWRC is also a founding member of A.M.E.C.O. (the Association of Missing & Exploited Children) and is a longstanding member of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

For more information, you can contact:

http://www.jwrc.org

Jacob Wetterling Resource Center
2314 University Ave W., Suite 14
Saint Paul, MN 55114

651-714-4673 (office)
651-714-9098 (fax)
1-800-325-HOPE (toll free)