J.R. Conrow — Post Falls, Idaho

Well, I won’t take a lot of time, but I received a Christmas Jar this week by someone I don’t know, and I didn’t understand and still don’t but to know someone that I don’t know left this for me was a start of trying to fill a heart full of fear, doubts and feeling broken.

I’m an elementary school custodian and my principal on Monday, Dec. 14, informed me that a gift bag was left at her front door and was left for her custodian. No further details than that. I would eventually receive this bag and would learn two things. Your novel was left for me along with a Christmas jar that included a $100 bill and was half full of change. It brought me to tears.

I don’t know why anyone would reach out to me in this way. I’m a hard working custodian struggling to get by and I overcame a rare battle of bacterial meningitis in April 2020 that almost took my life so I’ve had a year just like most everyone, but even still never feel that I deserve something from anyone. Even though I feel this way, I do give a heartfelt thank you to the person who gave this to me.

I may not fully understand right now but my hope is this will open my heart to accept more as well as be able to give back just the same. This gift has been the highlight of my year to hope better things are truly out there and hope that I can find them. This is my story to you.