From Teresa

I used to spend a week or two with Aunt Jeannie & Uncle Rick in the summer since I was little. I was the oldest niece, so I got alot of love from the Aunts! Even after they had their own kids I still came to stay with them for a week in the summer. One summer in particular, she saved my life. I was 13 years old, standing at a fork in the road. I had already been through alot and I could have very well went the wrong direction with not much guidance from two confused divorced parents. She saw me standing there and snatched me up just in time and took me down the right side of the road. She took me into her home, with three children of her own and she showed me how a loving family related to each other and how people react to each other when they truly care. I didn't realize it at the time because I was a scared, confused, selfish, angry teenager. Sometimes I got angry with her because she was trying to protect me and I had never experienced that before. Instead of yelling and the show of tempers (like I was used to), we wrote letters to each other when we had problems. I had a hard time with confrontation. I love her more than anything and I give her alot of credit (and Uncle Rick) for my turning out to be a half-way decent human being. We had our trials and tribulations but they showed me how to handle them with love. The last time I saw her, Doug and I went to visit them in Louisiana, I didn't know it would be the last time, she seemed to be feeling really good but as we started home, we got a block from their house and I just started to cry and couldn't stop. Doug asked me why I was crying and I didn't know. I never really had a chance to thank her. She saved me with her great big heart and I will always love her.

Teresa Wright