Uplifting Letter

It’s noontime on the Tier. Already had morning rec and it was 85 degrees and then all of a sudden it started to pour out. It rained for about 30 minutes, but it felt good. Everybody just continued to work out during the downpour without skipping a beat. The sun eventually peaked out through the clouds and started to dry up our soaking wet clothes. I got back onto the tier into the high humidity. The large fan which circulates air is apparently broken because of the circuit breaker. It feels like a garage or yard shed on a hot summer day, no breeze and muggy.
It is what it is though. Not too much left to do on today except another rec at 5:30, probably will read and write all day. Still moving forward and still motivated through several encouraging things. It’s such a blessing to receive an encouraging letter from the outside, but today I am going to share an uplifting letter I received from the inside. The letter was addressed to both Jay and I based on this inmate’s observations and interactions. The following is a portion of the letter sent to us.
To Jayson and Matt,
“Where to begin. Sometimes in life the consequences of your decisions take you to places that you could have never fathomed you’d be. And once in a while, you can get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it just right. There you can turn a negative into something extraordinarily positive. That’s how I view my world today, through eyes that see past the bad and accentuate the positives. I see both of you as saviors of sort, angels, as redemption for me. And not just because you are helping others, but I see that by helping others, you are really helping yourself get though this in your own way. To deal with this maelstrom of ignorance and helplessness that surrounds us all. You both are doing a noble act and should be proud of yourselves. I want to join the party. What should I bring? That’s funny that you said in the yard: resourcefulness, adaptability, intelligence, education, life experience, family support, precise/articulate/concise thinking, good looks (see humor) and most of all, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference. Sure I messed up, but my past doesn’t define who I am today and who I can be tomorrow.
We all have our own story, some better than others. You have both lived special types of lives. Jayson’s in the eyes of the media more only because of the way money sells sports, but Matt on persistency and patience, both of you did what you loved. My heart is in the right place as well as my head…”