Beste Inbreker...

I thought it was an amusing sign, a typical Amsterdammer's tongue-in-cheek response to adversity. The sign in our neighbor's window read:

Beste Inbreker, Na 3 inbraken in 18 maanden valt hier echt niets meer te halen. Maak anders een afspraak om te komen kijken. 06-21584879. (Dear Thief, After 3 break-ins in 18 months, it happens to be that there's really nothing left to take. Otherwise, make an appointment to come by and look... And then his telephone number).

It was a noteworthy sign. I felt bad for our friend and neighbor, but I wasn't overly concerned about our own protection of property or personal well-being... And I thought it was admirable how Harm could put the best face on things. Little did I know that our household would fall victim to the same fate less than 12 hours later. While we were gone to church on a sunny Sunday afternoon, someone pushed in the framing to our living room window and helped himself to our laptop computer. It was a quick smash-and-grab; only the one item burglarized... but it was a big item, and regardless we were left with the mess to clean up.

Now we've been working on our own letter to the "Inbreker":

Beste Inbreker, Onze computer is vervangbaar, de fotos van onze kinderen niet. Wij willen graag alleen de fotos terug. Alstublieft. (Dear Thief, Our computer is replaceable, the pictures of our children are not. We only want the pictures back. Please.)

In the end, we’re glad that life goes on. The memories of our lives are permanent, even if the prints and the electronic files are not. The cost of a new computer is recoverable. The hassle and frustration of rebuilding a system is temporary. We have no choice but to move forward...