TO THE ROBBERS

A letter to the persons who broke into my parents' home this weekend

When my dad called and told me you had broken into their house, I was shocked. He asked me and my husband to go over to see what had been taken.

When we arrived, my heart sank as I saw the front door window smashed. The police had already been there, a report taken, so all that was really left to do was to assess the damage.

I couldn't believe what you had done.

I understand stealing someone's stuff. Really, I do. For whatever reason, you don't have a job -- or maybe you do and this is something on the side -- and you shamelessly steal people's things to make money. Making money, I get it.

What I don't understand is the utter disrespect for someone else's property. The house was a disaster. Every room had been searched and some rooms completely ransacked.

To add insult to injury, you ate their ice cream. YOU ATE THEIR ICE CREAM! If that's not an f-you I don't know what is. And then you left the garbage on the floor. Proceeded to pee in the downstairs toilet. Didn't flush. And left a cigarette butt in the bowl.

The cops said you must have been there all night.

What did you do once you had loaded the flat screen, the computer, the phones (really??), the booze (but not the Crown Royal), my mother's irreplaceable jewelry, my husband's two saws, my dad's drill, the money hidden in my mom's drawer (which was going toward a new china cabinet, in case you care to know)??? Did you sit around on the counters in the kitchen eating their ice cream? Did you look at the photos on the wall and wonder what my parents were like? That they had four kids and six grandchildren? Did you even notice?

You violated my parents and everyone close to them. When terrible things happen, they have a ripple effect. No one is left unscathed. Neighbors are fearful -- if it happened to someone nearby, why not to them? Children are upset to see their parents in such a vulnerable state and to see a home that is also their home ripped apart. Grandchildren don't really understand what happened and so think the worst and wonder if the "bad guys" will come to their house next. 

Have you ever had someone rifle through your things? Do you know what it's like to have that sick feeling in your stomach knowing that complete strangers were in your house touching your personal property? I doubt it. Because if you did, I don't think you'd be doing things like this.

You stole my parents' personal computer which had a list of favorites. My blog is on that list of favorites. Maybe if you go through the computer you'll find this. I hope so. I want you to know how your thoughtless actions touched the lives of so many people.