Anna's point of view - Page 3

Angel629 · #51 07-04-2012, 09:53 PM

She would remember: her brothers' names, the pretty unique experience of growing up on a farm...the various animals, going to kindergarden (I'm five years older than Anna and I can STILL remember my kindergarden teacher's name). She'd remember places in town that the family visited regularly (maybe the name of a store). She'd remember her favorite toy or doll (which might help her, time-frame and nationality-wise). And, most of all, she'd remember how much she was loved.

Daisyinthedesert · #52 03-17-2013, 03:24 AM

Children remember a LOT of things at a young age! Even if they are repressed memories they would be there! I am now 46 and as my family moved house when I was 5, I know a lot of memories from that house are me aged 5 or earlier. I remember the address, the exact floor plan, my pets at that house, the outdoor toilet, eating tinned spaghetti, neighbors on both sides although not their names, the flowers out the front, some of my toys, lots of things. Someone could explain the memories away but they would be there!

dogperson · #53 03-18-2013, 01:25 PM

I am 43 and have many many pre-school memories of my family. I even remember being at my brother's wedding when I was 2 1/2 years old, not a lot of it, but I remember watching his wife walk down the aisle and I remember details about the church, the church stood out to me because I was used to the Methodist church and the wedding took place in a Catholic church. I remember lots of days at home when it was just me and my mom when I was a very small child, the pets, the toys, the furniture we had. I don't see how you could wipe memories like that out of a person's mind.

MLO · #54 03-20-2013, 10:19 PM

Oh gosh, Anna's story just about breaks my heart. I have been consumed by this story for the last few days.

I discovered this thread first and since I have a 5 year old I got to wondering about how much he would remember and for how long. I just cannot imagine him ever forgetting his name, or his siblings, or his true identity. I can't imagine him accepting a story about being adopted or any other story someone might use to explain taking him. I guess though, that when you're 5 compliance probably beats the stress and trauma of constant grief at being taken from your Mamma.

What really drew me into this case though is a photo I saw of Anna. I clicked to open it and walked away, and when I came back I rolled my eyes at my DD taking pictures of herself on my iPad again. Then I realised it wasnt her, it was Anna. The resemblance is uncanny. Same face, same curls, same eyes, same nose. I even showed my DH who thought it was my DD or our older DD. All of the kids thought the photo was our youngest, and even the youngest thought it was her! I cannot stop looking at the picture, because it looks so much like my 3 year old does now, and exactly like my 9 year old did back then (she lost her blonde curls and now has dark brown hair).

I read in another thread that it was possible that Anna may have been dressed as a boy while being moved. I think that is certainly a possibility. I have 4 kids, two girls and two boys, they are all carbon copies of each other, in fact, all 4 resemble Anna which I think is why this case has shaken me so badly. If I shaved my girls head, they would look exactly like their brothers, if I put a wig on my boys, they'd make perfect girls.

I hope so badly that there is a break in this case soon. I know I won't stop thinking about this case any time soon.

SideKick · #55 03-21-2013, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLO

Oh gosh, Anna's story just about breaks my heart. I have been consumed by this story for the last few days.

I discovered this thread first and since I have a 5 year old I got to wondering about how much he would remember and for how long. I just cannot imagine him ever forgetting his name, or his siblings, or his true identity. I can't imagine him accepting a story about being adopted or any other story someone might use to explain taking him. I guess though, that when you're 5 compliance probably beats the stress and trauma of constant grief at being taken from your Mamma.

What really drew me into this case though is a photo I saw of Anna. I clicked to open it and walked away, and when I came back I rolled my eyes at my DD taking pictures of herself on my iPad again. Then I realised it wasnt her, it was Anna. The resemblance is uncanny. Same face, same curls, same eyes, same nose. I even showed my DH who thought it was my DD or our older DD. All of the kids thought the photo was our youngest, and even the youngest thought it was her! I cannot stop looking at the picture, because it looks so much like my 3 year old does now, and exactly like my 9 year old did back then (she lost her blonde curls and now has dark brown hair).

I read in another thread that it was possible that Anna may have been dressed as a boy while being moved. I think that is certainly a possibility. I have 4 kids, two girls and two boys, they are all carbon copies of each other, in fact, all 4 resemble Anna which I think is why this case has shaken me so badly. If I shaved my girls head, they would look exactly like their brothers, if I put a wig on my boys, they'd make perfect girls.

I hope so badly that there is a break in this case soon. I know I won't stop thinking about this case any time soon.

Hi MLO!

I know, Anna is captivating! We love her so much. You weren't by chance adopted were you? LOL I say that due to all your children looking so much like Anna!

take care,
Sk

MLO · #56 03-21-2013, 08:02 PM

LOL, no, not adopted. I did run through it in my head though! I'm too young, plus I look nothing like Anna. I'm a red head, my children seem to have only gotten genes from my husband.

I have to say, this is one of the only abduction cases I've seen where I've truly believed that the child is alive and well. All of the others feel a lot like wishful thinking, but not this case.

Annasmom · #57 03-23-2013, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLO

LOL, no, not adopted. I did run through it in my head though! I'm too young, plus I look nothing like Anna. I'm a red head, my children seem to have only gotten genes from my husband.

I have to say, this is one of the only abduction cases I've seen where I've truly believed that the child is alive and well. All of the others feel a lot like wishful thinking, but not this case.

Thank you for helping me keep my hopes up, MLO.

SideKick · #58 03-24-2013, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLO

LOL, no, not adopted. I did run through it in my head though! I'm too young, plus I look nothing like Anna. I'm a red head, my children seem to have only gotten genes from my husband.

I have to say, this is one of the only abduction cases I've seen where I've truly believed that the child is alive and well. All of the others feel a lot like wishful thinking, but not this case.

Thanks MLO :-)
I too believe.

Fuuro · #59 03-24-2013, 01:01 PM

I really don't know if this applies to me, because Anna is over 30 years older than me, but I remember going to Kindergarten with my favorite Looney Tunes lunchbox, going to the flea market with my grandmother every week, the first time I had to go to preschool, my mom's old car, and picking flowers with neighborhood friends. I wonder if Anna would be able to recall what car that the family owned and old family traditions (like going to the beach, having gatherings etc.) that were in her life when she was 5.

BobbieA · #60 03-25-2013, 02:18 AM

I have been checking in. I haven't posted for a bit, but wanted to add something here.

If you Google things like 'I have no memory before the age of 5' OR 'I have no childhood memories', you come across message board after message board of adults who have very few childhood recollections and sometimes NO childhood recollections.

I think there's something to be said for consistency of experience too. If your life were uprooted at a young age, maybe you wouldn't remember what came before the uprooting because your experience after that point would abruptly stop being consistent, if that makes sense.

Perhaps searching some of these message boards here and abroad?

cutter99 · #61 03-27-2013, 04:42 PM

I have been lurking here for quite some time and did order and read the book written by Anna's mother. My heart breaks for her knowing that she has waited so long for answers.

I was born in October 1967, so that makes me about 3 weeks younger than Anna. I can very clearly remember that names of my pets, the name of my kindergarden teacher as well as what kind of car she drove. I started taking horseback riding lessons at the age of 3 and can still remember the names of the lesson horses as well as the instructor. I can remember my mom singing "Leavin' on a Jet Plane". I certainly don't think I have any special memory abilities (especially at this age!), but feel that my memories are normal.

I have had discussions with my mother about the things I remember from my childhood and she is sometimes surprised how much I remember and how accurately I remember it. I swear I remember my baby brother coming home from the hospital, although my mother says that can't be true because he is only 2 years younger than me.

After reading almost every page of this thread in the past year, as well as the book, I can't help but feel Anna was kidnapped and that her father and Brody were involved. With as throughly as the area from which she disappeared was searched, and not just once, I have a very hard time believing she was not found if she were there. I also feel that the couple who approached Anna and her brothers before Anna disappeared could have been used by Anna's father to abduct her.

I can only imagine that if you are five years old and thrown into a totally different environment and told to not talk about what you remember or that those memories you have don't exist, you adapt and move on because that is what children do. I often think there are many people in this world who repress things or deny that they have happened because if you "put it out there", it makes it real!

Anna's Mom, please know you are in my prayers. I check here frequently to see if there is any news because Anna is in my thoughts. I don't know if it is because Anna and I are so close in age, but this has struck such a cord with me! I walked away, after reading the book, with the impression that Anna had a beautiful life filled with much love. I can only hope that she had memories of those years that have sustained her all this time!