Holly Jones

I read yesterday an interview with Maria Jones, the mother of murdered 10 year old Holly Jones. The article, which was written in Ms Jones' words was simple and straight forward yet conveyed exactly what I would have expected her to say years after losing her child in such a horrific way. What was particularly touching was her account of the day that Holly disappeared. A regular day really, with only one small thing out of the ordinary; that Holly brought home a new friend from school. A friend who she had offered to walk home after their play date [the girl had just moved into the neighbourhood and Holly was trying to be nice] Going against her usual rules, Ms. Jones allowed her daughter to go out into the spring afternoon and walk her friend home. She never saw her again.
Two seemingly small things stand out for me in Maria Jones' story. One is the fact that Holly was murdered in May right close to Mothers Day; a time of year here in Toronto where usually you cant go 1 block without seeing something blooming. Tulips, daffodils, dandelions. Crab apple trees are in blossom with pink fluffy flowers lining the branches. The air is clear, the sky is blue. How can a little girl die the way Holly died in this season? The grey, ugly days of November or March are more of a season for sorrow and tragedy.
The other thing was the fact that Ms. Jones was worried about what people would think about the way Holly was dressed when her body was found. Holly and her friend had been playing dress up and she had not changed into regular clothes for the walk. Holly's mother was afraid that people would think that this was the way she always dressed her daughter. This is so sad. That we live in a society where women live in fear of being held to blame for their own rapes and murders or their children's murders based on how they are dressed.