I received a letter from my youngest daughter while I was incarcerated, at that time for more than 3 years. I was sent directly to prison after my trial, even though all the parties involved said I have never been in trouble before in my life. So the most I would get was probation. Well, that was not true.
The Judge immediately incarcerated me and even though the Probation Department said I was a model prisoner while on bond and others were able to self-surrender in my case and I fought it and asked for a bond hearing through my attorney. The USA stood and said “your Honor” and the Judge said say no more “remanded”. All I heard myself saying out loud to myself was “I promised her I would be home and I begged the Judge in my mind “Please I just want to go home. I promised her I would be home.” My daughter was only 15 at the time and she was very mad at me and would not talk to me. I tried so many times to tell her how sorry I was not to be there for her Junior and Senior year in H.S. and beyond. I wrote her and nothing. I asked other family members to talk to her , my mom, her father, my son, her older brother and my eldest daughter, her sister, but no one could get through to her. I was very sad and started to withdraw into myself and didn’t want anything to do with anyone.
So, I began to pray for my daughter to forgive me and understand and I prayed everyday the same prayer Psalm 34, God hear the cries of a righteous Women. Well, it took a while but one day I was standing waiting for the mail as we all did at the end of the day. I started to walk away after the officer said there was no more mail, but then as I was walking to my cell, the officer said, “Oh wait, there’s one more, it was not big.” It was one of those small envelopes that got stuck at the bottom and he just happened to reach down into the mailbag and pulled it out. I heard my name be called, and I thought I heard wrong and continued to walk toward my cell but one of the other women said, “The officer is calling you.” I said my name and they all started to cry out my name and I said, “Here I am,” hurrying over to the horseshoe in the middle of the day room. I showed my ID to show it was me. He said, “I called you and you almost didn’t get this.”
I said, “I’m sorry I could not believe I had anything.”
He handed me the letter with a grin. “It’s for you.”
I hurried and went to my cell and sat on my bed saying a small prayer. “God, please let it be good.” I started to open the letter with my eyes closed and pulled the letter out. The anticipation in me began to grow when I began to read the first line: “Hi, Mommy, it’s me MJ. I miss you and I will always love you and I don’t blame you. I know you would have come home if you could. You have never broken a promise to me. You are my MOMMY. No one can take your place. I’m sorry it took so long to write to you but I forgive you and you don’t have to worry about me because you raised me and taught me that A Promise Made is a Promise Kept. So, I’m still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled when you come home to ME and your new Grandson…. I told him all about you and he looks like me and I will always keep my promise to him because you taught me how important being a Mother is …”
As I read the small, 2 page letter and the vitals of my grandson, 6 pounds,2 ounces 20 inches long, the tears of joy began to slide down my cheek and I said a silent Thank you, God and watch over my little ones and my little one’s little ones. I took the letter, kissed it through my tears and until it got wet read it over and over and then I looked into the envelope again and found a beautiful angelic smile smiling back at me… I said to myself, “MJ, he looks like you and ME.”
I hope you like my story of my letter that made me smile. Have a blessed day. — Kathy G.