One of the reasons I wanted to become a reporter is so that I could do something different each day on the job. New days bring new topics and it gives the job variety. Every now and then though, a certain incident or issue remains top news and you can get stuck on the same topic for several days.

The end of last week and the beginning of this week was one of those times. The case of missing Nevaeh Buchanan remained a huge story. So each day I came in to work, I knew what I would be covering. I came in, and shortly after, was on my way to Monroe. Now, there can be some comfort in knowing in advance what story you’re covering, but reporting on the missing girl from Monroe started to get at me.

I have a little girl of my own, and can’t imagine not knowing where she was or what happened to her. I lost sight of her in a furniture store once, and it was probably only twenty seconds, but it still scared me to death. So in speaking to Nevaeh’s family members on a daily basis, I became emotionally invested. It can be very hard when a family is worried or grieving, and my job is to get information from them. At times, when entering the family’s apartment complex, and seeing all the other new vehicles and live trucks, I began to feel like I was one among vultures. So I took solace in making a commitment to myself, to do my job the best I could, but not at the expense of the genuine compassion I was feeling. It also helped to know the stories we were running might just get Nevaeh home safe.

Well, late last night, I found out that was not to be the case. Poor little Nevaeh’s body is believed to have been found near the River Raisin in Raisinville Township, northwest of Monroe. I’m left feeling deeply saddened for her and her family. You see, another thing I always liked about being a reporter, is you usually don’t have to take any work home with you. Like I said before, new days usually bring fresh new stories. Well, you might not have to bring physical work home, like paperwork, but in stories like this one, it can be impossible not to bring work home with you in an emotional sense.

On a lighter note, I spent the whole day with my almost two-year old yesterday. I painted her toenails, then took her to the zoo. One thing I’m reminded of, from covering Nevaeh’s story, is to not take one second for granted, that I get to spend with my little Ivie girl. Everyday that I get to wake up to her smiling face and hold her close is a blessing.