What was taken...

It’s a day I will never forget. It’s not the day my kids were born or the day I got married.

It’s the day my house was broken into. And, as dramatic as this may sound you think you know but until it happens to you, you really have no idea.  

Friday it will be one month...  

I came home from work and walked in the front door at about 5:30 pm; straight past the living room into the dining area. I was on the phone with a friend. I put my left over lunch and mail on the kitchen table. Within minutes I realized my house was not as I had left it in the morning. Random stuff thrown all over the living room floor, every drawer in the kitchen left wide open, so open the ones on my computer desk had broken. I ran out of the house, as if I was staring in my own scary movie…. and immediately told my friend with a slight panic in my voice..."Oh my God, I think my house was broken into!!" And, hung up. 

I had run straight out of the house and across the street to a neighbor’s yard as I frantically called 911. Immediately the dispatcher knew something was wrong as fear and emotions filled the phone line. 

I was a victim. 

I felt helpless. When I realized what was taken and how things could have gone so different had I gone to pick up my kids first or come home earlier. I suddenly felt hopeless. 

These “people” had invaded our home. Our home.  A place that is supposed to be safe and secure. Where my little babies lay to sleep and play, carefree and happy. They had taken our belongings. OUR belongings. I don’t know who these "people" think we are but those items were not so much valuable as they were meaningful. We worked hard for years and continue to do so to obtain the little bit that we have. Living within our means and only making large item purchases when they are purposeful. We don’t have that kind of money just lying around waiting to be spent. We, like many other average income families, work very hard, long hours every day to earn a living. We make sacrifices for all that we have and how far we have come... 

How did I feel? I was disappointed. For days I felt sad. My privacy invaded on so many levels. These “people” know what we look like, how we live and invaded our living space. I felt angry. At them, at myself. The what-if’s sink in. The WHAT-IF’s overwhelm me. 

Then.  The calm. The little things that reminded me, they took things. Things that maybe one day will be replaced. Things. I embrace my little crazy kids and love my Husband. Yes, those people may have taken my sense of security to a certain level. Made me a little uneasy. They rocked the boat just enough to open our eyes to what really matters. 

But, you know what they didn't take my faith, my courage and my will to work even harder and be an even better person! They may never pay for what they did... and that's OK. It's not up to me to handle that, I must simply move forward. 

In those days I learned a lot about safety and security from of course the internet, other Bloggers and just talking to people about it and their own personal experiences with break-in's. Everyone I spoke to had the same thoughts of how their privacy was invaded and their sense of security was shot but they also all had the same spirit of; it’s happened once, it will not happen again!

We  eventually explained it all to my kids, they were so angry and in their own ways expressed how upset they were. My daughter wanted to beat people up and my son wanted justice to be made. These days, they pray every  morning that the bad guys don't get in our home and rob us again. 

{My Blog will be lacking nice pictures for a while...because those people stole my camera with all my accessories. In the mean time I will use pictures taken with my phone. Sorry!} 

Tomorrow tips on how to prevent break-in's, on being "prepared" and what to do if it does happen to you.