Because of my deeply rooted character defects and the guilt and shame that I carried within, for many years I viewed myself as unworthy of any good-hearted, upstanding citizen’s love or care. I have been working on myself since the early 2000s, learning empathy, kindness, honesty and love. Volunteering my aide to other incarcerated peers has also showed me how good it feels to help others. Still, I never imagined or expected a soulmate.

One day a nurse that was helping my elderly mom and dad saw my picture at my mom’s house. She asked if she could write me. Wow! The woman has a heart of gold. She is a great mother to her three children, as well as a great grandmother. Her job is helping the developmentally disabled – which she loves to do. But what she has really done is give a broken guy like me a second chance. She has inspired me to be a better and focus more on helping others. With all that she has given me a taste of freedom after 27 years of imprisonment. Her forgiveness of my past sins has restored my own view of myself.

Dean Steinocher