Dave Holloway; “Do you have children?” (Natalee Holloway)

“Do you have children?”

That is the answer that Dave Holloway provides when people ask him how he copes with the disappearance of his daughter, Natalee Holloway. It probably is the best answer that one can give and have a direct impact. It is probably safe to say that those without children can also tend to relate the the pain, anguish and suffering that Dave Holloway experiences in dealing with the Natalee investigation.

“Do you have children?”

That’s the way Dave Holloway, formerly of Clinton, responds when people ask him how he’s coping with the disappearance of his daughter, Natalee.

“If you do, you know exactly how I feel,” he said, referring to tightly strung emotions tinged with loss and frustration since his daughter went missing May 30 on the last night of her senior trip to Aruba.

Today would be Natalee Holloway’s 19th birthday and instead of spending it with his daughter Dave Holloway is in Aruba with Tim Miller of Texas Equusearch continuing the search for Natalee. Dave Holloway is also meeting with new Aruban deputy Police Chief, Gerold Dompig, starting from square one the search for Natalee Holloway. For those that do not believe mistakes were made in the investigation, things missed whether they be intentionally or unintentionally; its hard to imagine Dompig would admit starting from the beginning if they were not.

With the new Aruban deputy police chief (Gerold Dompig) in place, it’s like starting all over,” Dave Holloway said in a phone interview. “He says he’s going back to the beginning and going forward from there.

No matter what side the the story one falls on no one can deny the absolute pain and anguish that the disappearance of a daughter does on a parent. Its a parents worst nightmare and unless one walks in their shoes it is pretty difficult to condemn a parents reaction to the disappearance of their child. It can be nothing but an all consuming event that makes all else in ones life put into perspective.

“Even if I’m not searching for her in Aruba or following up on tips on the computer here in Meridian, she’s still on my mind,” he said. “It’s hard to concentrate on anything else.”

As Dave Holloway searches for his daughter today, please remember it is Natalee Holloway’s 19th birthday. A day of searching that much be even more difficult than most.

(Full Clarion Ledger story)

Please feel free to post your thought and wishes to the family on Natalee’s birthday in the forum.