to the mother of a missing daughter.
Understanding the mother of the missing daughter is easy. More challenging is understanding the situation from the other parent's POV.
Being something of a hothead where protecting my own children is concerned, I can understand Natalee's parents. But I can also understand how PVDS might have/ probably did feel in the situation that presented on his doorstep at 3 a.m.
I think that the Holloways' handled that initial encounter badly--given the descriptions that we have of that morning. I understand the impulse to act as they did. Completely. But it was not the best way or even the preferred way to greet a situation where what you want is the cooperation of the person you're meeting.