MY FIRST GUARDIAN ANGEL: PEGGY JO

WHILE DOING MY TIME IN LIVE OAK PRISON I WAS GRANTED A VERY SPECIAL AND UNIQUE ANGEL. HER NAME IS PEGGY JO. I WAS GETTING READY TO PAROLE AND I SOON REALIZED THAT I HAD NOWHERE TO GO, AND NO SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM. TO SAY THE LEAST, I WAS TRAUMATIZED. I HAD MADE UP MY MIND NOT TO REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES OF MY PAST OR MAKE THE POOR CHOICES I HAD MADE. HOWEVER, I KNEW THAT WITHOUT A GOOD SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM, OTHER THAN A 12- STEP PROGRAM, AND A MIND- SET IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT. SO I BEGAN TO WRITE TO EVERY ORGANIZATION, CHURCH, PROGRAM, AND EVEN PAROLE TO ASK FOR ANY ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE. I EVEN INCLUDED IN EACH LETTER A RETURN SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE, JUST TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO RESPOND. WELL, WEEK AFTER ANXIOUS WEEK I WAITED, WITH NO RESPONSE. MY SISTER, LINDA LEE, THE FRIEND WHOM I HAD MET AND CHOSE TO CALL ME SISTER, KEPT REASSURING ME. HOWEVER, I STILL SEEMED TO GET NO RESPONSE. I WAS QUICKLY LOSING FAITH. I KNEW THE PATH I WANTED TO BE ON, ONE OF SOBRIETY, INTEGRITY, AND DOING THE RIGHT THINGS. HOWEVER, I WAS FRIGHTENED. I KNEW HOW HARD IT WAS WITHOUT A SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM. IT WOULD BE EASY TO FALL BACK INTO OLD BEHAVIORS AND PATTERNS, BECAUSE THEY WERE WHAT I KNEW. HOWEVER, I TRULY DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT. NO MATTER WHAT! ONE DAY OUT OF THE BLUE MY SISTER LINDA LEE CAME TO ME. SHE JUST SMILED, AND WITH A TEAR IN HER EYE TOLD ME THAT ALL WOULD BE OK. I ASKED HER HOW? SHE JUST SAID, "PLEASE, HAVE FAITH IN WHAT I AM SAYING AND YOU WILL SEE." IT WAS A HARD REQUEST FOR ME. I WANTED TO KNOW THE PLAN, EVEN THOUGH I'VE HEARD IT SAID, "EVERY TIME YOU PLAN FOR SOMETHING, YOUR CREATOR JUST SITS BACK AND LAUGHS." I STILL HAD TO TRUST HER, AS I SIMPLY HAD NO OTHER CHOICE. I ALSO KNEW THAT I HAD COME THIS FAR AND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT MY GOD WASN'T GOING TO LET ME DOWN, ALTHOUGH I WASN'T CLEAR ON JUST WHAT HE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE PLANNED. A LADY AT THE PRISON INTRODUCED ME TO A PEN PAL. HER NAME WAS PEGGY JO. SHE LIVED CLOSE TO THE PRISON, SHE HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, WAS A WONDERFUL, KIND AND GOOD LADY. PERHAPS SHE COULD HELP ME, OR AT LEAST PICK ME UP, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN TO GET ME TO PAROLE. THAT IS THE VERY FIRST THING THAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU WHEN YOU GET OUT OF PRISON. YOU MUST GO AND REPORT TO YOUR AGENT, MAKE CONTACT, AND GIVE THEM AN ADDRESS WHERE YOU CAN BE FOUND, AND ALSO TEST. SO, VERY SOON I WAS GIVEN THIS LADY'S ADDRESS. I WROTE HER RIGHT AWAY. SHE RESPONDED RIGHT AWAY. THANK THE GODS! WE GOT ACQUAINTED AND SHE LEARNED OF THE ISSUES I WAS FACING UPON MY RELEASE. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT I WAS NOT EXPECTING HER TO TAKE
ON ANY TYPE OF FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR ME, OR IN ANY WAY PUT HERSELF OUT. THE ONE THING I HAD LEARNED, OR WAS LEARNING, WAS NOT TO BE SO SELF- CENTERED, OR MANIPULATIVE. IT WAS A PROCESS. HOWEVER, I WAS COMMITTED TO IT NOT BECOMING A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME. WELL, PEGGY JO WAS VERY KIND AND GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO SEND ME SOME CLOTHES TO BE ABLE TO PAROLE IN. I TOLD HER THAT I WOULD REIMBURSE HER WITH THE $200.00 GATE MONIES I WOULD RECEIVE. SHE ALSO AGREED TO PICK ME UP ON THE BIG DAY AND DRIVE ME TO CHICO, WHICH WAS A GOOD 25 MILES AWAY. I HAD ALSO COMMITTED TO PAYING FOR HER GAS, WHICH I'M SURE WAS A LOT. WELL, THE MOST WELCOME SIGHT I EVER SAW WAS THAT OF MY NEW GUARDIAN ANGEL ON THE BIG DAY, AS SHE CAME UP TO THE GATE TO PICK ME UP. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT PEGGY JO HAS BECOME ONE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS TO DATE. I LOVE HER SO VERY MUCH. I KNOW THAT SHE IS ONE OF MY STRONGEST SUPPORTS, AND SHE DOESN'T LET ME GET AWAY WITH ANY OF MY BULLSHIT. I LOVE HER. SHE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GUIDING FORCES IN MY LIFE. I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD EVER DO WITH OUT HER. WHEN LINDA LEE TOLD ME I HAD MANY, MANY BLESSINGS, BLESSINGS BEYOND MY WILDEST IMAGINATION, I WOULD NEVER HAVE DREAMED THAT I WOULD HAVE SUCH A DEAR BLESSING OF A FRIEND AS PEGGY JO.