February 11, 2010

Dear Friends & Family –

Justin would have been 34 tomorrow. I can hardly believe that Chandra is 35 so it’s hard so it’s really hard to believe that he too would be approaching his mid thirties.. I often look at young men in their 30’s to help me imagine what he would have been looking like. I think his hairline would have receded like his paternal grandfather’s did, he would have a few wrinkles, but his smile and lit up eyes would be the same.

Bill, Chandra and I are very grateful that we still get letters about Justin. One letter was from a very special young woman that Justin was close to at Brown University. Her 4 page letter is such a gift to have. She shared what has happened in her own life since 2003 and some of the lasting gifts that Justin gave her. I hope we will see her in person sometime and I hope she shares some of her letter with you all sometime. For now, I would like to share this one part with you: “he made me see all the things in me that he loved that I thought were not enough. Where I felt insecure he assured me that I was perfect the way I was. When I felt ‘behind’ some of the more intellectual and gifted people at Brown, or in other areas of my life, he assured me that comparing myself to others was poisonous and that my self-realization was the spark that would lead to my ‘full development.’” I hope these words speak to you as they do to me to use in my own life.

We are also grateful to all of you that have stayed in touch with us, sharing your thoughts, memories and own life news.

Talking about “life news”, if anyone you know lives in Massachusetts, have them vote to elect MikeLake.com and find out what one of Justin’s White House friends, and a person who is very much part of our extended family, is doing. If these friends are impressed and would like to help him get 75 delegates to the MA Democratic Convention on June 4th have them call him at 978-704-1776. What he needs is people who will go to their own town caucuses and give out literature on him. His opponents are Susan Bump and Guy Glodis. Guy is a very powerful man who has been around for a long time. Many people fear him; he was / is a sheriff.  The caucuses end Feb. 24th so call, email or text your people in MA. Do it for political action in memory of Justin! You know he would be helping Mike.

Now for Foundation news/. Out of the 12 grants that we hoped to give out in 2009, only one is still not done. We do not have enough information for “Hoop Dreams of W.D.E.” to make out a grant for it, so if anyone out there can help us get in touch with them please let us know. We have received many ‘thank you’ notes from recipients of these grants and some very touching letters. The following came from recipients of grants given to Outward Bound USA.

“Dear sponsor, thank you so much for sponsoring my course! This experience has been one of the finest courses I have ever done and I think I have learned the most at this one than I have the others. The course involved hiking with a 50 lb. backpack and rock climbing for 21 days; it has been hard to do; not seeing my family and everything. Mentally I have learned that if you decide not to be proactive then you will have to deal with the consequences.” Francis, age 14.

“Dear sponsor, I’d like to personally thank you for the life changing experience I had in my Outward Bound trip. Because of this once in a lifetime amazing experience, I have come out with more self confidence than I ever had, a better understanding of the world around me, a new sense of compassion for others and the environment, an everlasting friendship, a much improved ability of being a well rounded leader and a better understanding of my own self.” Wade, age 15.

I know you can all picture Justin smiling as he read these excerpts, remembering his own words and feelings after his own Outward Bound experience.

In closing, I hope some of you can make it to one of our hike a thons this year. The first one will be in Johnstown, PA on Saturday October 9. It will be open to the public and will also include relatives from my mom’s side of the family. Saturday, Oct. 16 will be the date for the Chilmark and Chapel Hill ones. The third bike a thon will also be on Oct. 16 in Chapel Hill.

I sincerely hope this letter finds all of you and your loved ones happy and healthy.

Love, Julie