Jacob’s Legacy

“What did I do wrong?”

Handcuffed, trapped in a car disappearing into the rural Minnesota night, this was the question posed to his abductor.

You did nothing wrong, Jacob. You did nothing wrong.

You didn’t know that vile, depraved evil exists and stalks the most vulnerable. Proof came again yesterday as a sexual predator and murderer confessed in graphic detail how he abducted and killed eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling almost 27 years ago. Hearing this brought tears and took a breath away in the same moment.

Over the years, Jacob’s story would surface now and then with new leads but no results. Through it all, Patty Wetterling, Jacob’s mother, and family provided relentless advocacy for Jacob and other missing and exploited children.

Now that our worst fears have been confirmed, what can be learned?

Truth.

Above all else, the Wetterling family sought the truth. Not vengeance. Not punishment. Not hate. The truth could not have been more painful, often it is not what we want to hear, but Jacob is finally back home.

Power of Purpose.

When confronted with a parent’s worst nightmare, the Wetterlings chose to act. Patty became a nationally known advocate and educator for exploited and abducted children. She and her husband, Jerry, founded the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center. If any good can come from this ordeal, it is the help and support they have provided others in need.

“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” Steve Maraboli

Hope.

The Wetterlings never lost hope of returning Jacob to his home. They never changed their phone number, left the porch light on every night, and stayed in the same house in hope that Jacob would contact them one day. This strength is motivation for all of us to meet our own challenges.

Evil does exist. But the strength of those of who push back against it, with all their will and under extraordinary circumstances, provides unrelenting hope for all of us.

“What I really wanted to say today was about Jacob: He has taught us all how to live, how to love, how to be fair, how to be kind. He speaks to the world that he knew, that we all believe in, and it is a world that is worth fighting for. His legacy will go on.” Patty Wetterling