Questions now surround student

Last week when it was reported that a young girl was missing from the University of Madison, Wisconsin, this story hit close to home for me.

My daughter, Theresa, is in her first year of college there. Every time a news item ran about the young girl Audrey Seiler, my husband, Tom would holler at me to come and watch the news. I finally told him, "I can't watch it. Don't ask me to come and see this story on television, that girl could have been Theresa."

I thought 'Are any young girls safe?' Two young women from Minnesota abducted this year, Dru Sjodin and now Audrey Seiler. I felt deeply for her parents and the trauma that they were going through. I imagined Audrey's body turning up, or never turning up, as so far has happened to Dru Sjodin. I talked to a grandmother whose grandson is going to school at Madison and she was crying over Audrey being missing. Many people were carrying around the pain of and angst of a terrible tragedy happening to another young girl.

Theresa called me one night from school to tell me that she was safe and that many of her classmates were out searching for Audrey.

Theresa said, "I know Audrey. This is so weird. She was attacked a month ago too. I don't understand any of this. My boyfriend, Steve, has asked me to be very careful. He's afraid. I walk home from a dance class on Tuesday nights by myself. I am scared too."

After the days of being troubled and praying for Audrey, she was found alive and safe. I was happy, relieved and then puzzled as the story unfolded. It was all a hoax. Audrey Seiler had planned her own abduction.

My feelings now changed after feeling sorry for a young girl who had gone to such an extreme degree to get attention. I feel empathy for her parents.

I wonder now how this young girl is going to be able to go anywhere without people being angry with her.

My oldest daughter Mary said, "I feel really bad for this girl. Going to college is really hard. I had a hard time. It is lonely and you don't know who you are. It was really hard for me."

I had forgotten how hard it was for Mary, as she is so happy now and successful in her work. Mary went to St. Ben's in Collegeville, Minn. She was ill often and very lonely. She would call home every week crying and say that she wanted to quit school. Her second year was even harder than her first year. I had to encourage her over and over to get through it and she did. I had to drive up to see Mary at college more often than I had to with my other children.

I talked to Theresa this past weekend about Audrey and the feelings of her classmates at Madison.

"It's just so weird, what Audrey did. The whole thing -- checking out parks and the weather, buying a knife and duct tape. I remember when I first met Audrey, she was angry and she did want a lot of attention. But I don't get this, none of us do. Why would she do this? Didn't she think about what would happen when it was all over?" asked Theresa.

As strange as what Audrey did, I understand it. I had a friend run away when I was in high school. She didn't run far, but she caused a lot of worry for her parents and she got a lot of attention. Audrey is immature, and she is getting help now. She screamed for help in a very extreme manner. I only hope that if something bad happens to another person and he or she is missing, that this does not deter the authorities because a young girl cried wolf.