9/19/05 “Somewhere Out There” Part II
Too many days have passed since Yolanda Bindics disappeared.
On Yolanda’s Internet forum, Margaret wrote:
“I can't take another day not knowing where Yolanda is. I can't take another night crying myself to sleep. I'm sitting here falling to pieces. I want to call her; I want to write her a letter; I want to visit with her like I did before.
But instead, all I can do is think about her and reminisce in my own mind the memories I have of growing up with her. It's been 400 long, sad, painful days. Can you hear me? Am I screaming loud enough? Can you feel how deep my pain is?”
No one who is not experiencing the pain of having a loved one go missing can truly understand. To be able to purge it in some way, as Margaret has done in writing, is healthy. It enables her to keep on going and do what she needs to do for her precious, lost baby sister.
“I'm just trying to get by one day at a time.”
That’s all you can do, Margaret.
The Bindics family is active in keeping Yolanda’s name and face in the public’s eye. They post new flyers regularly and sends mass e-mails. They are also working on a billboard. They have held many awareness events for Yolanda and benefits to raise money for a trust fund for her four children.
Like most families of the missing, they need more media coverage. Yolanda was featured on Fox News at the very beginning, but since then, her story has only been mentioned by the local media occasionally.
Margaret expands on the media issues in Yolanda’s case: “It’s very bothersome to see just one missing person captured on national media and numerous resources and funds being spent on that one particular person. I believe ALL missing person cases should be treated equally. Sure I would love for Yolanda to have this kind of attention, but Jason’s (Jolkowski) family is hurting just like my family is. Audrey’s (Herron) children and family want her home just as much as Yolanda’s children and family want her home. Jim Viola would love to have his wife (Patricia...see the story here "Reluctant Mr. Mom") return back home and in his arms again just as much as Audrey’s husband would want his wife back. I believe we are all hurting equally; we all want our loved one back home.
Yolanda’s story should prompt media to pay attention because of the “person of interest” in Yolanda’s case. This is an individual who is supposed to hold an office of authority. Since Yolanda’s disappearance, this person has been charged with stalking, harassment of other women, and official misconduct. When it is out of one’s character to just vanish from the lives of many who love her, who loves and adores her children, I believe the telescope should be focused on a case like this.”
One of Yolanda’s younger children, Allison, age 3, when describing where her mother is, says: “My Mom’s on posters.” These are heartbreaking words from the mouth of a babe, much too young to understand that her mother is missing. How could she possibly understand that yes, her mother’s photo is indeed on posters, but a missing poster is not where a mom's face should be seen.
“My greatest fear is that I'll never know what happened when my baby sister disappeared on the night of August 10, 2004.” Margaret shares the changes in her life since that fateful day: “There has certainly been a life lesson in all this for me. Take no one for granted and remind the ones that you love them and show them that you care. You never know if they’ll be here tomorrow. I keep in contact with my family more frequently than I did prior to Yolanda’s disappearance. I travel more often to visit my family.”
“If the whole country was a captive audience”, Margaret states, “I would ask for their help in finding all missing loved ones and to prevent another one from happening by observing their surroundings. It seems as though it’s just a blink of the eye and a child or adult is gone. Please pay attention to what’s going on around you.
If something seems abnormal, call 911 and report it. Don’t ignore it. Think about your loved ones and imagine if they were no longer a part of your life but you didn’t know why or what happened. It’s a terrible feeling not knowing what happened to that special someone in your life.”
If Yolanda is alive and able to read this, Margaret has a message for her: “Yolanda, if you’re reading this, I thank God that you’re able to. Please know that we love you so much and miss you more than anything in this world. Your daughters think about you all the time and miss you like the rest of us. In their hearts, they believe you’ll be home soon. That’s what we all believe. If you’re able to make a call, please call one of us. I’ve always been there for you and I always will be no matter what.”
Wherever Yolanda is, I have no doubt she is so proud of her family’s ability to pull together. I see her beaming like an angel seeing their obvious love for her.
Remember the Westside Little League where the Bindics siblings played softball? This year, one of Yolanda’s nieces played for the Yankees, the very same team of Margaret’s memories with her little sister. Yolanda’s brother was the coach. They dedicated the season to Yolanda, and they won the championship!
Margaret made a scrapbook for Yolanda when they were children. She plans on putting the certificate for the star they purchased for Yolanda in that scrapbook if she does not come home. Margaret said: “I wanted to do something meaningful, something that will be out there forever.
Whenever Yolanda and I would call each other, I would always greet her by saying, "Hello, Sunshine, Good Morning, Sunshine, etc., so a note is included with her Star certificate that reads, "Let this star continue to shine until my Sunshine comes home."”
The song “Somewhere Out There” has much meaning to families of the missing such as mine and the Bindics family. We all hope that somewhere out there is a place where our dreams of being reunited with our loved ones will come true.
As I was thinking about this song, and remembering when I heard it being played on the radio, it was always on the Delilah radio show, which airs both here in Omaha, and in Jamestown, NY. Since Delilah plays it for dedications quite often, I’m quite sure she, too, likes the song. I have sent her an email, requesting that she dedicate that song to Yolanda and her family on the night they travel to the planetarium to view Yolanda’s star.
Please help make a dream come true for Margaret and the Bindics family. Take the time to write to Delilah, asking for the song to be played and dedicated to Yolanda on September 29th. Perhaps someone, somewhere out there can provide the clue that will bring this family together again.
http://www.radiodelilah.com/home/home.html
The website, built with love for Yolanda: http://www.findyolanda.com
A video of Yolanda: http://tinyurl.com/bhz8x
“....Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky
Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true.”
On Yolanda’s Internet forum, Margaret wrote:
“I can't take another day not knowing where Yolanda is. I can't take another night crying myself to sleep. I'm sitting here falling to pieces. I want to call her; I want to write her a letter; I want to visit with her like I did before.
But instead, all I can do is think about her and reminisce in my own mind the memories I have of growing up with her. It's been 400 long, sad, painful days. Can you hear me? Am I screaming loud enough? Can you feel how deep my pain is?”
No one who is not experiencing the pain of having a loved one go missing can truly understand. To be able to purge it in some way, as Margaret has done in writing, is healthy. It enables her to keep on going and do what she needs to do for her precious, lost baby sister.
“I'm just trying to get by one day at a time.”
That’s all you can do, Margaret.
The Bindics family is active in keeping Yolanda’s name and face in the public’s eye. They post new flyers regularly and sends mass e-mails. They are also working on a billboard. They have held many awareness events for Yolanda and benefits to raise money for a trust fund for her four children.
Like most families of the missing, they need more media coverage. Yolanda was featured on Fox News at the very beginning, but since then, her story has only been mentioned by the local media occasionally.
Margaret expands on the media issues in Yolanda’s case: “It’s very bothersome to see just one missing person captured on national media and numerous resources and funds being spent on that one particular person. I believe ALL missing person cases should be treated equally. Sure I would love for Yolanda to have this kind of attention, but Jason’s (Jolkowski) family is hurting just like my family is. Audrey’s (Herron) children and family want her home just as much as Yolanda’s children and family want her home. Jim Viola would love to have his wife (Patricia...see the story here "Reluctant Mr. Mom") return back home and in his arms again just as much as Audrey’s husband would want his wife back. I believe we are all hurting equally; we all want our loved one back home.
Yolanda’s story should prompt media to pay attention because of the “person of interest” in Yolanda’s case. This is an individual who is supposed to hold an office of authority. Since Yolanda’s disappearance, this person has been charged with stalking, harassment of other women, and official misconduct. When it is out of one’s character to just vanish from the lives of many who love her, who loves and adores her children, I believe the telescope should be focused on a case like this.”
One of Yolanda’s younger children, Allison, age 3, when describing where her mother is, says: “My Mom’s on posters.” These are heartbreaking words from the mouth of a babe, much too young to understand that her mother is missing. How could she possibly understand that yes, her mother’s photo is indeed on posters, but a missing poster is not where a mom's face should be seen.
“My greatest fear is that I'll never know what happened when my baby sister disappeared on the night of August 10, 2004.” Margaret shares the changes in her life since that fateful day: “There has certainly been a life lesson in all this for me. Take no one for granted and remind the ones that you love them and show them that you care. You never know if they’ll be here tomorrow. I keep in contact with my family more frequently than I did prior to Yolanda’s disappearance. I travel more often to visit my family.”
“If the whole country was a captive audience”, Margaret states, “I would ask for their help in finding all missing loved ones and to prevent another one from happening by observing their surroundings. It seems as though it’s just a blink of the eye and a child or adult is gone. Please pay attention to what’s going on around you.
If something seems abnormal, call 911 and report it. Don’t ignore it. Think about your loved ones and imagine if they were no longer a part of your life but you didn’t know why or what happened. It’s a terrible feeling not knowing what happened to that special someone in your life.”
If Yolanda is alive and able to read this, Margaret has a message for her: “Yolanda, if you’re reading this, I thank God that you’re able to. Please know that we love you so much and miss you more than anything in this world. Your daughters think about you all the time and miss you like the rest of us. In their hearts, they believe you’ll be home soon. That’s what we all believe. If you’re able to make a call, please call one of us. I’ve always been there for you and I always will be no matter what.”
Wherever Yolanda is, I have no doubt she is so proud of her family’s ability to pull together. I see her beaming like an angel seeing their obvious love for her.
Remember the Westside Little League where the Bindics siblings played softball? This year, one of Yolanda’s nieces played for the Yankees, the very same team of Margaret’s memories with her little sister. Yolanda’s brother was the coach. They dedicated the season to Yolanda, and they won the championship!
Margaret made a scrapbook for Yolanda when they were children. She plans on putting the certificate for the star they purchased for Yolanda in that scrapbook if she does not come home. Margaret said: “I wanted to do something meaningful, something that will be out there forever.
Whenever Yolanda and I would call each other, I would always greet her by saying, "Hello, Sunshine, Good Morning, Sunshine, etc., so a note is included with her Star certificate that reads, "Let this star continue to shine until my Sunshine comes home."”
The song “Somewhere Out There” has much meaning to families of the missing such as mine and the Bindics family. We all hope that somewhere out there is a place where our dreams of being reunited with our loved ones will come true.
As I was thinking about this song, and remembering when I heard it being played on the radio, it was always on the Delilah radio show, which airs both here in Omaha, and in Jamestown, NY. Since Delilah plays it for dedications quite often, I’m quite sure she, too, likes the song. I have sent her an email, requesting that she dedicate that song to Yolanda and her family on the night they travel to the planetarium to view Yolanda’s star.
Please help make a dream come true for Margaret and the Bindics family. Take the time to write to Delilah, asking for the song to be played and dedicated to Yolanda on September 29th. Perhaps someone, somewhere out there can provide the clue that will bring this family together again.
http://www.radiodelilah.com/home/home.html
The website, built with love for Yolanda: http://www.findyolanda.com
A video of Yolanda: http://tinyurl.com/bhz8x
“....Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky
Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true.”
posted by Kelly Jolkowski at 1:16 AM
2 Comments:
Dear Kelly, as trite as it might come across, I really do mean this: I do feel your pain and I have been praying for you every day for the past week. You just keep popping into my head whenever I am quiet for a moment and allow God to penetrate my thoughts.
The hope you speak of cannot be underestimated in its value. Please keep up that hope, Kelly, that Jason is okay and that God is watching over him and over you.
Thank you, Chris.
I will never give up hope. I do not see myself becoming a bitter old woman, shaking my fist at God for perceived wrongs against me.
Our main objective here is to serve Him, even though we may not always understand the means.
God bless you,
Kelly
Post a Comment
<< Home