Susan notes: This is a letter of gratitude from Alex, a remarkable 16-year-old girl, to her angel Jackie, a young woman in her twenties who was a counselor at a camp in Toronto, Ontario, Canada last summer. Alex wrote the letter to thank Jackie for being there to listen, support, and provide strength. It's an amazing testimonial to the difference we can all make in someone else's life, if we take the time to listen and care.

Loretta Cella, who established the Passion Foundation in Vancouver, Canada, to help young women thrive, sent me the letter to post on AWR. Alex is one of the amazing young women in Loretta's programme.

Cutting is a form of self-injury in which a person  scratches or cuts themselves with a sharp object, enough to break the skin and make it bleed.

Jackie,

On the last night of camp, which I remember perfectly, you never let me finish saying thank you and how much you mean to me and what you’ve done for me. This is reallllly long and I apologize; I just feel like I can get everything out.

You told me your life story, which is something extremely personal so I’ll do a brief version of mine.

I have always been stubborn and wanting to go my own way. I was put in private school to “learn discipline” in grade 6. There I met 2 girls who would become my best friends and my life: Juli and Alice. In December of grade 9, they ditched me suddenly.

I was left with no friends and because everything revolved around them, I had nothing left for myself. I cut for the first time in the spring of grade 9. I have cut a total of 11 times to this day and I’m sorry it reached the double digits.

I started crying more and becoming more angry and irritable and sad; but at the same time I started to change myself for the better, I thought. I ended up gaining a lot more friends; Alice and I are closer than ever. Juli and I have made up and are OK now, but I still have yet to find my self worth.