Stepping Out of My Boat

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 By Ida Williams

 

Have you ever been called to do something that is out of your comfort zone?  Something that you think about over and over again, wondering if you made the right decision?  This happened to me recently, and I am very happy that because of my faith, and a shining example from Sister Cecelia and Kenneth, I stepped out of my boat of fear.

Last fall I received an email from Sister Cecelia letting me know that I was going to receive a letter from a young man named Kenneth: a person with justice system involvement, who is currently incarcerated.  She went on to tell me it was up to me if I decided to correspond with this young man.

The letter arrived, and it was well written, many pages long, and contained questions about my job.  He had read my article “The Faces of Dog Training at New Skete.”  He also included information about himself, never speaking of the crime he was incarcerated for, but giving a glimpse into his life and his desire to learn.  So many questions.  The sentence that struck me was “You can ask me anything.”

I put the letter aside for a few days.  Read it again.  Thought about it.  Read it again.  Told myself I was going to write him, but waited a few more days.  What could I say to this young man?  How could I correspond with him and not come off as “preachy” or like I was trying to mentor him?  Who am I to write to this person?  This person who needs more than I have to give?  My life has been cushy.  Yeah, there have been some rough patches, but nothing compared to what Kenneth has experienced.  He is in his early 20s. I am a grandmother. What do I have to offer this person to brighten his day?

Well, if Sister Cecelia can do this, and Kenneth can step out of his boat and tell me “You can ask me anything,” I can write a letter.           

We have been corresponding for over four months now.  At first it was through the US mail; now we use email.  The emails are shorter but more frequent.  My concerns have dissipated.   We share some common interest in music.  (He likes some songs by Journey.)  He asks about my horses, and I give him the “farm report.”  He shares his dream to someday be involved in real estate.  I know he is taking college classes and reading everything he can get his hands on.  I wish I had some advice for him in this. He is teaching me acronyms that I am unfamiliar with.  He writes to me about his family, and I love that he is a “family person.”  He has a great-aunt Ida Williams, and we laugh about that.  He talks about writing his story, and I encourage him to do so.  He has much to share.


            I thank God we all stepped out of our boats.  

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