Roanoke Rapids, NC

Candlelight vigils seem to be especially poignant for me. There is no difference vs daytime rallies, it's the darkness, the illuminating candlelight, the solemness of it all.  Or it could just be that it's always the final stop of the day, usually the third, and I'm already tired and emotionally spent. This being the first day of the tour I'm more tired than usual as we pull into Missing Shonda Stansbury's stop in Roanoke Rapids, NC (10/3/13 7pm).

Her sister Jackie is our host this evening. Shonda was 24 and the mother of 4 small children when she went missing after visiting Jackie at work in 2006. As we approached the vigil Monica told us this was going to be an emotional stop with lots of children present, including Shonda's.

I've been aware of Shonda's case since the beginning but I had not met them before. Present were  her father, siblings, children, nieces, nephews, and friends, all wearing different missing shirts for Shonda. I particularly liked one that had Missing Loved One written above her picture on the front. Then I noticed a few in Road Tour shirts (which we no longer carry). One young woman ( I believe a sister in law ) was wearing one from 2007, and when I asked about it she began to apologize for not wearing a missing Shonda shirt. First of all Awesome, that they had hosted a rally in 2007, secondly it IS a Shonda shirt, the rally shirts have a picture of all missing persons being featured on that years tour.

Jackie had invited the family of Missing Amy Bridgeman to participate. 42 year old Amy disappeared June 24, 2013. She has been missing just over 3 months. Even though her family has been actively searching, giving interviews, and holding vigils, her husband James is still in that new raw stage that all missing person family members can both recognize and remember. You can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. When Jackie invited him to speak he barely got a few words out before breaking down and was unable to finish. Luckily, he had support with him and was still able to get his message out.

Monica was correct in that there were a lot of children,  teenage girls clinging together arms entwined, babies on moms' hips. They were thought of in the planning of this event. Special candles with holders for dripping wax were handed out along with regular tea lights. There were a few balloons but I was not expecting a release at this stop, so when Jackie grabbed them I was surprised. Then she began calling out the names of all of Shonda's children and they stood in the middle of the crowd and let them go up into the dark night.

Elisa