The long and short of it (But more long than short)...

When I posted at the end of June, I was in the middle of a whinefest about my health.

Wait a sec...  Do you even remember me?  Should I reintroduce myself?

This is the fat chick who blogs here.   

And this fat chick has more important things to talk about today than herself (write that down- you don't hear that from me often).

As you know from my last post, Darrell is related to the I*rwin family, whose baby, L*isa, has been missing since last Tuesday.  I've posted links to articles and pleas to pass around her picture several times on FB, so this post isn't going to be about that. 

Of course, I do hope you will all continue to keep your eyes open for L*isa and pass her information around.  And I desperately hope you will continue to pray for her safe return  (I'm not yet ready to believe she's "no longer with us," or will not be coming home.  Shove that cynical, jaded part of you aside {come on, you know you have one- we all do- the one that says, "She's dead," or "They'll never find her"} and believe with me that she's still out there and can still be brought home.  Humor me, if you have to.  Stranger things have happened.   Miracles do happen).

What I'd really like to say today about L*isa's "case" is just a simple, common-sense reminder not to believe everything you read or hear.  Please.  Seems funny, coming from a blogger, I know- but I'm getting more frustrated and angry as the days go by with each article I read. 

For example, when you read "Parents Have Stopped Cooperating With Police," you are getting one, very skewed version of the story with a definite agenda involved.  You know that, right?

My opinion about that whole refusal to cooperate thing, since you asked so kindly, is that asking for a break from questioning to go home, see your kids, rest, think, or not think...  after hours, and hours of interrogation, being asked the same questions again and again, being asked to implicate someone you love, being asked to go over your "story" one more time, then 10 more times after that...  That is not the same thing as a refusal to cooperate.  That is called "exhaustion."  That is called being on the verge of mental/emotional collapse. 

I don't care who my family is or is not- I absolutely believe J*eremy I*rwin when he said he just needed a break.  I do not believe he refused to cooperate with police.

It is obvious that the KC police have started zeroing in on L*isa's mother and believe she "did it."  They told her she did it.  Did she?

Honestly?  I don't know what's going on.  And neither do you.  Or any "journalist" out there.  AND...  At this point, neither do the police. 

I truly want to believe the mother knows nothing of her baby's disappearance.   And I do believe her.  Right now.  Not because we share a few family ties, but because I honestly do think she sounds credible and truthful when she speaks. And she appears, to this mama anyway, to be truly devastated, overwhelmed and heartbroken by her baby's disappearance.   She certainly wasn't serving her own best interests when she publicly admitted police told her she failed her poly.  That seemed very open and honest to me.  Keep in mind: There is a difference between failing a polygraph and being told by the police that you failed a polygraph.  We do not know if she really did fail it.  To my knowledge, the police haven't made any public comment on it, which I also think is odd.  Why wouldn't they?

I know the police would not be doing their jobs if they didn't look at everyone and consider every possibility.  By all means, they should be looking at the parents.  Of course.  What disturbs me about the attitude I'm seeing in the police is that the focus which should be placed on finding L*isa is now being placed on finding someone to blame.  They don't know if a homicide has been committed, but they're trying to catch a murderer.  If they're doing that, can they effectively track down a kidnapper?  I fear manpower and time are both being channeled away from finding a living little girl.  What a waste. 

Before I (finally) stop rambling, I should make it clear that I am in no way an I*rwin family spokesperson. In fact, I can't recall the last time I even saw J*eremy I*rwin (L*isa's father). So my opinions are straight from my bamfoozled head, and not spoon-fed to me by family members, or influenced by family loyalty.
And that's all I have to say about that.  Thank you for allowing me to vent.  That's been building for days. 

On another, equally sad, note...  As you pray for L*isa, please also remember my son, Evan, in your prayers.  His closest friend shot and killed himself yesterday.  I'll probably blog more about this soon, but until I know that all his family has been notified, I don't want to print the young man's name or discuss it too much on a public forum. 

Obviously, it's been an emotional week around here, to say the least.  I appreciate each and every prayer from you guys.  I feel we need them now more than ever, so keep 'em coming!  Thanks, guys!