What's to be said at the end of such a long and heart-breaking road? My goal, when I first read of Sharon's story (and she's going to be Sharon to me, It's how I've known her for many years) was to see he real name returned to her. I felt it was the least that we-that I-could do for such an extraordinary young woman. In the course of that search, I think a lot of good was done-several other young girls who went missing finally received some attention after many years of being seemingly forgotten. It hurts to see now how close Sharon's truth was to the surface-just out of reach, teasing us, brushing the "fingertips" of our thoughts but never revealing itself. Maybe Floyd was right, maybe there are truths here, still to be unearthed, that were better left in the shadows of the past. I'll leave that to others. For me, I can only say that Sharon was, and is, loved like a member of the family. I'm glad that she now has her real family to get to know her, to care for her, to love her. Maybe some day they will be able to come forward, to share stories, thoughts, to come to know her as we do.
I truly can't imagine what it must be like for them, though I've considered it all along. I've believed all along-and still do- that discovering the truth would be better than never knowing. Sharon's truth-Suzanne's truth-is not what a monster did to her. Floyd stole her life, her innocence, but he never touched her soul. Her accomplishments proved that. Her strength, her refusal to give up, prove that. Sharon was, and is, a bright beautiful star shining from the darkness that was her life, a life forced upon her. If anything, let that be her legacy. Who she was, not who Floyd forced her to be.
Welcome home, Suzanne. We've been waiting with warm hugs and lots of love.