As a child, I spent months in the hospital. The pain was constant and hopelessness sometimes crept in. But one of the things that broke through my fear and isolation was Mom arriving each afternoon with the mail.

Inside those envelopes were drawings, prayers, and handwritten letters from people I had never met. They arrived from across the country and around the world. And although they were sent from different parts of the globe, they all carried the same message: you are not alone.

When a person is struggling, knowing they are not alone and are being lifted up by others can make all the difference.

It did for me.

And it's the same kind of impact I see in one of my newest friends, Lillian O'Donnell. Let me explain.

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