I can’t begin to imagine how hard it would be to celebrate the holidays when in your heart all you want to do is cry. From my own experience when I am grieving all I want to do is sit alone in a dark room and cry. I didn’t want anyone to be around me, I didn’t want to listen to the TV or the radio. I just wanted to be left alone. Thank God I had family surrounding me that cared and wanted to make sure I didn’t lose myself into a dark world through my grief. They made me realize life goes on.
In my case I didn’t have other children at home that I was neglecting so I was only hurting myself. The point of all this is that when other children are involved you can’t just quit living. It is very important to show them they matter as well and you can’t deprive them of their life. Christmas and Thanksgiving is about family and love and celebrating. When you have a loved one missing or taken from you it is hard but you have to. You can’t forget the missing one or the one that is gone but you have to keep living for the others as well.
Haleigh’s family is kind of in this position in Satsuma Florida. The family is grieving for little Haleigh Cummings who has been missing since Feb. 10, 2009. The last one to see her as far as we know is her father’s ex-wife, Misty Croslin. Misty claims she woke up around 3 am to go to the bathroom and found her kitchen light on and a block holding the back door open. She ran to check on the kids and that is when she found Haleigh gone.
Haleigh’s father, Ron Cummings has since moved out of the mobile home the family lived in at the time and has moved in with his grandmother, Annette Sykes in Welaka in Putnam County. She has decided to decorate her home with the colorful Christmas lights even though she says the family is having a hard time this Thanksgiving.
“It’s really hard giving thanks when part of your heart and family is not here and you don’t know where they are,” she said with tears flowing from her eyes.
She says the family doesn’t really feel like decorating for the holidays this year but they think it is really important to do so for the sake of Haleigh’s little brother, Jr. “ If it weren’t for Junior we probably wouldn’t,” She goes on to say. “But he has to have some kind of normal life.”
At Grandma Sykes home there are red ribbons that have been tied around the trees that aren’t there for Christmas. They have been there for months in hopes of a little girl’s safe return. “Somebody’s got to know something and that person can come forward without being identified,” said Sykes.
They have the Christmas lights lining her home and banner in her front yard with Haleigh’s picture on it. In Pomona Park of Southern Putnam County at the Hill’s Hardware Store there is a sign out front that now says Happy Thanksgiving but below that he has “Pray for Haleigh” that has been there since February. John Woods, an employee that added the letters for Happy Thanksgiving said, “It’s real sad. I’m real sad because I just had a little baby girl. I’d be sad if my girl come up missing.”
I am going to ask this from everyone also. Please pray for little Haleigh. We don’t know who did this. None of us have the answer that we desperately want answered. We don’t know where Haleigh is. All we can do until that final piece of the puzzle is found is to continue to pray for her. I personally believe in miracles so I am praying for a miracle during this holiday season. God, please bring Haleigh home where she belongs!
Keep the prayers for the others and their families as well please. As Rodney Sheffield of Hill’s Hardware told First Coast News, “One more prayer may help.”
The list I have to pray for is as follows: Caylee Anthony (found dead), Adji Desir (remains missing), Haleigh Cummings (remains missing), Somer Thompson (found dead), Elizabeth Olten (found dead) , Masaraha Ross (remains missing), Alex Mercado (drowned) Rebecca Marie Allen (found alive), Sandra Cantu (found dead), Anthony Holland (found alive), Shaniya Davis (found dead), Hassani Campbell (remains missing), Giovanni Gonzalez (reported dead), Neveah Buchanen ( found dead) and Shannon Dedrick (found alive) and now Angel Miguel Perez (found safe). There are so many more too and I know I continue asking for everyone to pray for all of them but I refuse to give up.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Jan Barrett
As a favor to our readers I am posting these web sites:
Stop the abuse and murder of the children in the U.S.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/16/stop-the-abuse-and-murder-of-the-children-in-the-us
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/change-sex-offender-laws
(9 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5)
Loading ...
53 users commented in " Holidays Are Going To Be Hard For Haleigh Cummings Family "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThank you Jan.. I am sure the Families do appreciate the patience and concern both you and Simon have given this past year. I do wish both of you a very Happy Thanksgiving..
Jan, thanks for showing tenderness to a hurting family. I am sure they all feel a tremendous loss.
Prayers for all OUR little girls and boys!!!
****Happy Holidays****
Prayers to both sides of Haleigh’s families.
Prayers for the other children missing and their families.
Happy Thanksgiving all.
Prayers and Happy Thanksgiving to our servicemen/women here at home and overseas.
Still praying for Haleigh,and the others.God please bring them all home,one way or the other.My heart and prayers go out to all those that love these missing children and loved ones.For everyone else,be Thankful you are not one of those going through the hell and hurt the families and friends of the missing and be thankful you for your families.I am.Also many prayers for our service men and women,my son in law is one of them.Also praying for those truckers out there too,my son is also one of them,and it is my sons first Thanksgiving away from his children and family.To all of the bloggers Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you to you and Simon for your diligence to Haleigh. God bless!
Happy Holidays!
Jan,
Thank you for the heartfelt message. I cant imagine how hard it is for so many families who have suffered this type of loss. It must be so hard, and thankfully Junior has lights up and many ppl around him who love him enough to try and do the right thing.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you Simon and Jan for keeping our girl HaLeigh in the news.
What a sad, heartbreaking story.
This must be a gutwrenching time for HaLeigh’s family. I cannot imagine the PAIN they must be going through. All these “firsts” without her there. The first birthday without her, Halloween, now Thanksgiving. No joy for them this holiday season. How very sad. I’m so glad that the have Junior with them to help get them through this. I would think without him, that they would just “shut down” emotionally. I know that I would. I’d be locked up in the hospital and drugged to the max if my baby were missing. It’s good that they are doing their best to give Junior some normalcy, because Junior matters TOO! While we all have come to love HaLeigh, and we all worry about her and pray for her safety and pray for her return… Junior’s life has been turned upside down too. His little life has suffered also. He lost his sissy, and everyone has focused so much on HaLeigh that he NEEDS to have the holidays and have his family give him love and attention, even though I’m sure it will be torture for them. It will be healthy for Junior to see NORMAL things and BLESS them for doing that for Junior!
I pray for HaLeigh AND her family. And for little Junior too. I pray that whomever took HaLeigh finds it within his/her heart to let HaLeigh go home to the family that LOVES her and NEEDS her.
I believe in MIRACLES. I pray everyday that HaLeigh gets a MIRACLE!
I am glad that Jr. will have a semblance of normalcy for the holidays. Most children get excited to see Christmas lights. My prayers go out to each and every family with missing children. I am so thankful mine are home and safe.
Jan;
Once again, thank you for another touching article. It did drive home to me just what a bitter-sweet Holiday this Thanksgiving will be for the families this year.
There are those of us who can empathize with Haleigh’s parents and family members. I remember all to well the Holiday Season that followed my infant son’s death. I,like Crystal & Ron, had other children to help keep me grounded & looking toward the future. My two older children were anchors for me when all I wanted to do was drift away. They also gave me a reason to get up and keep going daily. All of the love I had for their little brother was refocused into them, and will continue for the rest of thier lives. I’m not saying my lost child is unimportant, just that anytime I was missing him I had the option to hug and kiss them instead. Jan, it must have been so hard to not have that outlet. The first Christmas season a therapist recommended that I cut out of magazines, pictures of all the gifts I would have bought him, in an effort to fill that emptiness and as a way to make him a part of our celebration that year. Well, folks, it did help. It still works to I fill the void his departure has created.
Let us all include Haleigh, her parents (both), and extended families in our prays this Thanksgiving as well as daily offerings until she returns to “us”.
May we all remember in our prayers the families that have loved ones missing from their dinner table on this special day of giving thanks.
My heart breaks for the children and their families. Having lost a child to violence I understand the emptiness in their hearts BUT I can not even begin to imagine the pain that “Not Knowing” brings.
If anybody knows anything about where HaLeigh may be, or any other missing child, please do the right thing. Call 911, call the FBI, call somebody, anybody, and help bring these missing children home where they belong.
Simon and Jan, while I do not always agree with you, what you do to help bring awareness that HaLeigh is still missing is greatly appreciated.
Prayers and gratitude to our men and women in uniform and their families for the sacrifices they make every day so that WE can enjoy the freedoms that we so often take for granted.
Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.
I pray that those who hold the answers to this mystery will see that their secrets are protecting no one and are harming many.
I pray that he or she will see that the anxiety and dread and hopelessness in their burden will not be lightened and their soul will never be whole again until they reveal their information to the appropriate persons.
I pray that they can look at their own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and see that those children love them and will always love them, but they will resent them and feel betrayed when the secrets are eventually revealed.
Prayers for HaLeigh to be home soon.
looks like Crystal Sheffield has a new myspace with an interesting mood on it. says she wants to be tied up to see if he can control her. Grieving mom shows right through here, not even a mention of her missing daughter. And her top friend is connected to Haleigh page with another page. The guy has two pages. http://www.myspace.com/509103182
Hmmm,…Bobby has an older brother and a younger brother. Crystal is “friendly” with the younger bro. Bobby can’t wait until Sunday to see his “girl”. She & he both have odd mood statuses considering the somberness of the day, or what we would expect to be a somber holiday. Anybody think it’s a little creepy that he has Caylee videos all over one of his pages? I mean I know i am interested in both cases, but I’m not trying to date Crystal either. LOL Wow! Maybe I should go see what the”other side” status is.
First of all I don’t believe that Crystal Sheffield made that page. It looks like a page that someone set up that they knew would get alot of hits and then people would click to pass thru to the dating site.
Secondly, I can understand that spending the days with family would be hard for Ronald, but a bigger issue for him should be that Junior needs to be around family for the holidays and that should by far outweigh Ronald’s needs.
Yes I read that Ronald is spending the holidays with friends. Come out of the mouth of his own grandmother.
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/state_news/112609-A-holiday-without-Haleigh
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/11/26/ng.haleigh.sitter.dad.cnn
CNN.com From Nancy Grace Show
11-26-09
“Haleigh sitter dad questioned” - VIDEO
I just wanted to say thank you for remembering HaLeigh today. Jr. had a huge Thanksgiving feast and lots of games and fun. At a time when I would usually be shopping for my four grandchildren, I sit at home crying for God to return our angel and as I did I ran across your very tender, sweet, and heartfelt story of my beautiful grandbaby. I try to stay away from internet things but when I read this I couldn’t leave this site without saying “thank you” for keeping HaLeigh’s story out there and for reminding people to pray. We too believe that God does give miracles and we believe HaLeigh will be ours. Thank you ALL, readers and writers alike, for remembering to pray for HaLeigh’s safe return and for taking the time to do so. God bless you ALL! TN
Ms. Neves — HaLeigh is always in my prayers as are Ronald, Jr, and your entire family. We will keep pushing for answers until HaLeigh is brought back home. We will never let her be forgotten.
Teresa, thank you for posting. You are in our heart and prayers. Treece
Such a beautiful story Jan. Thank you.
Heavy Heart, there is love and faith and belief and worry as the holidays approach. We ALL want your baby to come home for Christmas. I know that yesterday was one of the hardest days yet, but we won’t stop believing, don’t worry. We won’t stop searching, we won’t stop looking for answers, we just won’t until Haleigh comes home to her family. As Treece says above, you are in our hearts and our prayers. Hope, Faith, Belief. Be strong my Friend, be strong. We will NOT stop.
♥♥♥♥♥♥HALEIGH♥♥♥♥♥♥
Love, S
Heavy Heart, there are people all over this country that feel your grief and are praying daily that the veil of sadness is soon lifted. We pray that your sweet little baby is found and returned to her loving family. We pray that that the truth will be revealed soon. We pray for little Jr that his life may be as normal as possible. We support you and your entire family, and hope that the knowledge of our support gives you courage and strength.
A Lady in KY
Heavy Heart, Thoughts and Prayers to your family! Mother of 2 from South Dakota!
Dear Teresa,
As TB said, we will NOT stop searching for your precious Haleigh, we will NEVER give up, we will find the truth and bring Haleigh home, Haleigh will never, ever be forgotten, even when she’s found.
My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to you, Ron, Jr., Annette and all your family, and especially beautiful Haleigh….may God Bless and protect you. I believe!
Jan, thank you for a very beautiful article.
Hi Teresa,
We pray daily that whomever took Haleigh will let her come back to her family and we will not stop getting Haleigh’s name out there or searching for her. I am glad Jr. enjoyed his turkey day.I thought about ya’ll quite a bit yesterday. Hugs and love from your other “S” friend in TX
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS MISS NEVES.AS I SHOWERED THIS MORNING I PRAYED FOR HALEIGH,RONALD,AND FAMILY.THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY HEART,AND MIND GOD IS ABOUT TO MOVE,YOUR PRAYERS,AND FAITH MATTER TO GOD.THIS TOO SHALL PASS.HOLD ON HALEIGH IS ON HER WAY HOME.STAY STRONG…GOD BLESS
My Christmas wish is for all the missing to be returned home to their loving families. My wish for those families whose children were murdered and taken from them forever I pray that the Almighty will bring you comfort in your hearts and smiles to your faces as you remeber the memories. I pray for each one of these little lives stolen there will be justice. I know in my heart you may never find closure, but I pray for God to bring you peace.
God Bless you all.
Heavy Heart, my prayers for you and your family today and this holiday season, I have been praying for all of you since Haleigh was taken. I will not pretend to understand your grief, I know at times it must be almost unendurable. Please tap into the enormous strength of the posters who have followed Haleigh’s disappearance from the beginning, and know that we are praying for you and with you, please let us help you and your family to stay strong and believe that one day your little Haleigh will come home to you. My heart aches for you all. May God bless you and hear our prayers.
Dear Teresa,
We will NEVER give up on HaLeigh. Our hearts are heavy too, and while our pain can never compare to your family’s pain, please know that we pray for HaLeigh daily & nothing will make us happier than to see her BEAUTIFUL smiling face reunited with her loved ones. We will never stop praying for her and your family until HaLeigh is home.
Your friend up north.
XOXOXOXOXO
I suppose there is nothing else that needs to be said to Heavy Heart, atleast not by me. Because MY BNN family has spoken all the words/thoughts/prayers for ME in the above posts. Thanks Family
~
TN,
I & many other are keeping you & yours in our prayers. I am 3000 miles away but you should have got a hug or two from others closer to you from Sly.
Not a day has passed since this happened that precious HaLeigh has not been in my prayers.
Y’all have amazed me too how you took the high road while ’some’ spewed their EVIL lies, when in fact it seemed they were spewing about their own nasty selves.
Hugs,
Sly
OMG!!!! That FAKE myspace page of Crystal.. thats NOT Crystal’s page.IT’S A FAKE PAGE TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE CRYSTAL MADE IT.It’s just someone stupid trying to make Crystal look bad.I will have to give that link to Crystal or her mom because they are both on my Haleigh Myspace and my Facebook that I made just for Haleigh.
Starliteout…. ummmmm could you be Misty with the help of Nay Nay. Your post reads like that 911 call!!!! The numerical… What’s that?
Typos aside…. you sound like a bitter ass, highschooler trying to win your boyfriend back. Or, simply a very jealous and very uneducated chick with a huge chip on her shoulder. Really doesn’t matter which one you are, because the bottom line is, you have very serious issues.
What the hell is Ditwit? Was it Dimwit, you were trying to spell? I bet you really think lazy is spelled with a “t” at the end.
POOR POOR HALEIGH..THIS IS WHAT HER KIN FOLK GET OFF ON.MAKES ME WONDER WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE.SO WHAT IF CRYSTAL IS FAT LAZY OR WHATEVER,SHE IS STILL HALEIGH’S MOTHER.CAN’T CHANGE DNA.
WHO CARES!!!WHEN,WHO,AND HOW MANY MEN/BOYZ CRYSTAL CAN SCREW,OR GET.HER BABY IS MISSING…I THINK???
PROBABLY IS MISTY CENT.WHAT MISTY REALLY NEEDS TO DO IS STOP PLAYING THESE LITTLE GIRL GAMES AND TELL WHAT REALLY HAPPEND TO HALEIGH.THEN GO GET DETOXED.NXT GO GET SOME EDUCATION.FINALLY BE A PRODUCTIVE AMERICAN CITIZEN WITHA JOB.
Pinky/Humbled,
You’re are so right…. too many games. I just can’t understand the need to behave that way. Honestly, I’m sure I would regard my step-brother as that ONLY… but that’s me. Did the Sheffield/Griffis family live in the same household, were they raised together? My understanding is that was not the case.
Well, whomever made the “click-thru” mypace for Crystal is ACTUALLY friends with Crystal. There are reciprical links from Crystal’s main page to Bobby’s & Chris’s. There are reiprical links from the “click-thru” page to Bobby & Chris. Crystal’s Main page shows up in BOTH Bobby’s & Chris’s friends list. She had to approve them for them as friends for her icon & screen name to be in thier list. Both of her myspace pages are in thier lists. She’s using the closed one to interact with them. Sorry, looks real to me.
Holly,
I just posted on the other thread, regarding the page. Like I said, if its real, looks bad… if its not, just have it removed.
The page is real of Crystal’s look at her 3rd friend it is her other website and Marie said a few weeks ago she was worried Crystal was beginning to trust Bobby to much!
Help me to understand… who is this Bobby? Is he somekind of “magic man”?
Sorry guys, I like using “magic man” now, courtesy of the Croslin’s daughter in-law
I can’t believe what just happened on this thread tonight.
Jan took the time to write a very heartfelt article. You could tell it touched the hearts of most who read it.
There was even a response from who most of us believe to be TN thanking everyone for praying and thinking of Haleigh. I think she felt comfortable and safe here. Her family wasn’t being trashed. It was peaceful for her here. The normal compassionate people here at BNN was giving her their heartfelt support and prayers because that’s what we do here.
Then you have Star-Bright and a couple other bloggers who just had to turn the conversation into something it shouldn’t have been.
Haleigh’s family doesn’t want to hear arguing about Crystal or anyone else right now. So let’s all try and make this a place the family can feel free to come to and not have to be concerned about what is being written.
Star-Bright & Starlightout, if I offended you, Oh well get over it.
HeavyHeartMissingHaleigh,
I don’t think I could say anything better or differently than my fellow bloggers did here on this board. My thoughts and prayers are with you & your family.
Jan’s article really touched my heart as I know it did yours.
You’ll find most of the people here at BNN very kind and compassionate folks. Writers and readers alike.
Please ignore the rest. I can understand why you would stay away from the internet garbage.
May God Bless you and your family
Stormgardner,
Great post.
You’re right.
Heavy heart,
I felt your pain on that day that Gunny and I visited with you at the vigil. We have not given up. Prayers sent to you and your family.
Judy
Heyby’all!
What did I miss?
Hi, Polly! Sorry I did not see your question until now. Scroll up to see a comment from TN in response to Jan’s article and all the NICE comments up to that point.
You’ll see it as:
Heavy Heart Missing HaLeigh said,in November 27th, 2009 at 6:42 am
I came back here tonight and re-read all of the posts. My eyes welledup at all of the heartfelt sentiments. I only wish I had left a certain subject alone…for just one day.
~~~~~Copied to reply to Teresa Neves, Haleighs loving Grammy~~~~
Heavy Heart Missing HaLeigh said,in November 27th, 2009 at 6:42 am I just wanted to say thank you for remembering HaLeigh today. Jr. had a huge Thanksgiving feast and lots of games and fun. At a time when I would usually be shopping for my four grandchildren, I sit at home crying for God to return our angel and as I did I ran across your very tender, sweet, and heartfelt story of my beautiful grandbaby. I try to stay away from internet things but when I read this I couldn’t leave this site without saying “thank you” for keeping HaLeigh’s story out there and for reminding people to pray. We too believe that God does give miracles and we believe HaLeigh will be ours. Thank you ALL, readers and writers alike, for remembering to pray for HaLeigh’s safe return and for taking the time to do so. God bless you ALL! TN
Dear loving Grammy,
You are the apple of God’s eye. He careth for you, your burdens, happiness and plight. He shall move those mountains, the sunshine is breaking through, the warmth surely will be kissing the very cheeks little Haleigh often delighted in.
Here at BNN, much to my own pleasure, I have found a great group of compassionate caring fair citizens. For me, I’ve been sleuthing victims for over a decade.
Thank you for responding, it gives strength and encouragement to the strangers like us, who do care and shall stand with you in a united front til you have some answers. Haleigh’s smile is within every photo I’ve laid my eyes upon, that Joy flowed throughout the secret chambers of my heart as I too, have a girl named Haylee, she’s 21.
Come often, share with us, be at home, The Barretts run a tight ship with integrity, and makes a good advocate and ally for the children and families.
May God continue to keep his sovereign hand upon your life, and may together we grow in love as we care for Haleigh. Bless our Posters here who are the best on the net concerning Haleigh Cummings.
Holy Hugs and Kisses laced with purple lavendar scents, sheila
Holly’s Gmom said,in November 29th, 2009 at 4:07 am I came back here tonight and re-read all of the posts. My eyes welledup at all of the heartfelt sentiments. I only wish I had left a certain subject alone…for just one day.
Holly, your forgiven. Anyone who has read and kept up here can see the heartfelt kind posts you have made since the beginning of Haleigh’s case. You are never mean spirited, and it’s okay Darling. Every now and then we just have to learn. You always try to be of help, to improve all relations for the sake of Haleigh’s case, and we all know that. Don’t let it take you down in thoughts and emotions, we all do things sometimes we look back and wish we had done something differently.
Your sweet post reflects that, have a great Sunday eve, and keep up that fine posting for Haleigh and her families sake. We all need more kind people as you.
Holly’s G,
I too had second thoughts regarding my post to Starlite. But I am human and I have emotions. And it was not meant to take away from the “CAUSE” we all are fighting for, HaLeigh. Sometimes we shouldn’t bite, but we do. Doesn’t mean that our heart is drifting towards the “darkside”. More like our hearts are just expanding with more compassion and love for this little girl and her family.
Holly’s Gmom… you are great, and I am being truthful/honest about what I stated in my post to Heavy Heart.
Thanks guys;
I do feel some better about it. I will try to keep this in mind everyday.
We are a few more weeks down the road and closer to Christmas. The every year chores we take for Granted, putting up the lights, setting up the Christmas Tree, decorating it, and the first sight of the tree when its up and completed and lite.. that is truly when Christmas starts to settle in our Hearts and Minds. This year, the outside lights were put up.. With Pain.. overwhelming pain within for the Family.. Trying to put up the Christmas Tree was impossible, they couldn’t get the tree and decorated.. Too Many Memories.. the one that Grabbed my Heart was the Story of How Haleigh and Junior loved to be Picked up and would decorated the top of the Tree, their Job..
This year, Haleigh isn’t there to join in and do her Job!! Can we say or do anything to make things better?? Haleigh Could Home, and things would be Fantastic.. Christmas would be the best they ever had.. As far as saying anything that might help.. There are no words.. When we think of Junior on Christmas, remember one thing.. Haleigh was the little Momma for Junior. He adores her, he misses her, his life is not the same without her.. I have no doubt his Christmas Wish from Santa.. Please Bring my Sissy Home….
Christmas is a time of Joy, Love, Forgiveness, Hope and having the desire to Give and Share with others. I see no Joy in Christmas within Ron’s Family, I see great love and patience and kindness for each other, and those close to them. I know they would give anything they had to someone who needed it. They would easily forgive the person who has caused this pain and taken Haleigh, all they want is her being returned home.
I know without doubt, the person or person’s who took Haleigh, the person or person’s who have Haleigh, the person or person’s who have helped hiding Haleigh and know where she is..
I have to ask, Where is your Heart?? Who are you not to care about this poor child want to come home.. Why can’t she?? Why isn’t her wants and needs more important than your cold, cruel Heartless agenda?? The one in this world you have to worry about forgiving you.. Is Haleigh.. She will never forgive, nor forget..
Leave A Reply