Just forty-eight hours ago, Calysta Cordova was just a 9-year-old student in Colorado Springs. This morning her face is being shown around the globe. Not because she was a victim, but because she refused to remain one.
If you've yet to see the story, you can read it at http://www.9news.com/news/article/243673/339/9-year-old-found-kidnapping-suspect-arrested-
Calysta's story is especially striking to me because I have a 9-year-old granddaughter. I cannot imagine what this young girl's family went through for almost 24 hours before they got the wonderful news that she was alive and being transported to a hospital. I cannot imagine the relief of learning, a few hours later, that the alleged kidnapper had been identified and arrested in large part because the mother of another victim had promptly reported him for molesting her own daughter just hours before Calysta was abducted.
I can only hope that Calysta is able to work through this trauma and to find emotional healing, though it's almost certain that the emotional will take considerably longer than the physical.
One thing that is certain. She has already taught us much about the life-saving power of quick thinking and the courage to formulate a plan and act quickly will be passed on to many children and adults learn from her example.
