This afternoon I finished writing a letter to a woman who has been a part of my life since I was four years old. Jeri's husband was a classmate of my fathers' when he was completing his Masters' of Religion degree.
Jeri is a smart, funny, clever lady with a sharp wit and a great smile. She's always embodied the "cool aunt" stereotype for me. When my family moved to the Netherlands, I was entering the oh-so-delicate pre-teen years (I have since decided that it's the pre-teens who are the real terrors... full blown teens are already beginning to mellow...) To this day, I do not know what inspired her to do so, but Jeri took me under her wing. She knew that I liked to read, and so she would send me books she would find at this amazing used bookstore in her town. While I became fluent in Dutch by the end of our time there, I still read mostly English books. Books in general were pretty expensive over there, and English books were even pricier - when you could find a store that carried them! Jeri had a knack for sending the exact kinds of books I would love, and I spent hours losing myself in the stories.
I know I sent her thank you notes at the time, but they were strictly for the books. Today, I got to thank her for what was behind the books. Jeri was a role model for me, even if I didn't get it at the time. In my letter, I got to tell her how I've recently been able to pay her kindness forward to some pre-teens in my life. I hope that my influence on them can be every bit as positive as Jeri's was on me.
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