The Strength of Morgan Harrington's Parents in the Face of Adversity

Morgan Dana Harrington, 20, disappeared on October 17, 2009 around 9:30 pm. She was attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, VA. Somehow, during the concert, she was separated from her friends and ended up outside the arena. From there, we don't know exactly what happened. A number of witnesses have come forward to say that they have seen women fitting Morgan's description outside the arena and finally, on the Copeley Bridge, possibly hitchhiking.

Most of this information is readily available to anyone who cares to enter her name into a search engine, so I won't be going into the details of the timeline.

Instead, I would rather focus on the parents who have remained strong in the face of this tragedy.

Dan Harrington is her father. The internet community at FindMorgan.com and the Help Find Morgan facebook site began reaching out to Dr. Harrington and he reciprocated by reaching back. Dr. Harrington seems to be a man of few words, however, he often offers words of gratitude to those on the sites who continue to keep his daughter's name before the general public. He praises those who offer positive words of comfort and those who ask the difficult questions that need to be answered. He is a welcome presence among the armchair detectives, who otherwise may feel ridiculed and unappreciated. Dr. Harrington is able to see that these people are trying to help and he appreciates any and all help that may bring his precious daughter home. A message from Dr. Harrington is often all that is needed to keep these sleuths enthusiastic and so, ultimately, Morgan's name remains steady and strong among a large group of people.

Gil Harrington is Morgan's mother. She is keeping a journal of her thoughts as she processes this horrific ordeal. She allows these entries to be shared at FindMorgan.com. It is a penetrating look into the heart of a grieving and sometimes angry mother. It is unfathomable for most parents to even consider the loss of a child. It is a thought that is avoided. Reading Gil's journal entries leaves no room for denial of the heart break of loss. However, she makes us all feel that we can deal with life's inevitable challenges with love and authenticity.

Mrs. Harrington is a very strong woman who has the heart of a lion for her daughter.

Apart from showing us this tremendous love for her daughter, she has shown us all a better way to deal with adversity. Through strength, love and faith, Gil Harrington shows us that we do not have to cower to hate and anger. We can rise above it and replace the hate with hope and strength.

Together, these parents help us all to feel that when faced with the worst that life can bring, we can remain strong and loving. We can keep our highest hopes while accepting comfort from our friends, family and even complete strangers.

Go to FindMorgan.com for details regarding Morgan. There is a tip line there. If you have seen anything that you feel may be connected to this dear girl, please call it in.