Missing

How would you cope if someone from your family disappeared?

I was reading this story at News.com.au today and was struck once again about the difficulty of dealing with someone you love vanishing from your life.

THE husband of a woman missing from her Sydney home for more than a year has appealed to her to make contact after a string of reported sightings.

An inquest into the disappearance of Elaine Morgan, of Turramurra in Sydney’s north, was put on hold on Monday after reports of a woman matching her description spotted at an Adelaide beach.

It’s never happened to me, and I hope it never will, but my heart goes out to those who face each day wondering if today will be the day they hear something.

The Australian Federal Police say that thousands of people go missing every year but most of those people are found.

Every year approximately 35,000 people are reported missing in Australia – that’s one every 15 minutes. While over 95% are located within a month, the impact on families, friends and the missing persons themselves can be devastating.

It is important to remember that people go missing for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the person may be escaping from real or perceived family or personal conflict, they may be victims of foul play, whilst others may be asserting their independence or taking time out. Some simply forget to make contact.

They remind us that it’s not a crime to go missing but it can cause such heartbreak for those left behind wondering what has happened.

I can’t even begin to imagine the ache that would flood every part of someone’s life as they wonder if the person they love is still alive, if they were taken by force, if they could have prevented the disappearance. So many questions without answers. Each ring on the phone or knock on the door would raise hope only to have that hope dashed once again.

Have you had someone disappear from your life? Maybe you’ve walked away from your loved ones and they’re still waiting to hear from you. Those who’ve lost someone often say that while questions and heartache would remain, they would be able to face life a lot easier if they received a message to say that a missing person is alive and well.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Missing? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

View all posts

Join the conversation