Today Sophia has turned 32.
The last birthday we celebrated with her in our midst was when she turned 21, in 2014. Almost 6 weeks short of her 22nd birthday Sophia disappeared under strange circumstances, while travelling in Uganda.
A nightmare started for us, her parents and brothers and for all those who love and miss her. Overnight a jungle filled with question marks, a sea of sadness and storms of sorrow became a large part of our lives.
Sophia’s fate remains unknown to this day.
We do not know if this insecurity will ever end, if Sophia will ever come home. What we do know is that doing nothing is no option. We will keep trying to do whatever we can, to find out where she is, what happened to her.
Too much has still not been done, miracles do happen and hope springs eternal.
If nothing is certain, everything is possible.
The world remains strangely empty without Sophia.
The world is strangely empty without you
There is so little left in it
The sky is always so annoyingly blue
Why? What’s the point?
The blackbird is softly singing in a tree
For me he doesn’t have to bother
The world could be full of happiness, but now:
Empty, without you
Author: Annie M.G. Schmidt (1911 – 1995)
Marije Slijkerman
Gerard, Max en Jan Koetsier