you made a difference

Recently I proposed this question to a group of women- "tell me about a person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to." Here's my story:

When I was 8 years old, I sent a paragraph about myself to this Farm Journal/ Dairy magazine... they had a page devoted to kids writing in for pen pals. I don't know what I wrote... but it must have been very impressive... cuz I got tons and tons of mail from kids all over the tri-state area. I ended up choosing Debbie from Minnesota. We wrote for over 10 years and I finally met her for the first time on her wedding day and then our correspondence ended. And no, she is not the person I would want to talk to.
In the midst of the tons of mail that I recieved, I got a letter from a lady asking if she could send me a subscription to the magazine, Young Ambassadors. Wow... I was thrilled... my very own magazine!
But little did I know the effect the magazine would have on me spiritually. I became very aware of God, and wanting to be a good person for Him. I read these stories that made me want to believe in miracles... to believe that God was good and not mean and scarey and far away. When the year ended I wrote to thank her for the magazine... and she ended up renewing the magazine for many years after that.
Wow... what could I possibly say to her? Well...
"Thank you... thank you for investing in ME. Thank you for making a little girl believe she was special... that she was destine for great things. Did you have any idea that your act of kindness would make a difference... that many years later I would trust Jesus with my life... that I would let Him use ME in the life of another... just as you did? Thank you for planting that seed of hope."

Who from your past has made a difference in your life? Tell them... or tell me (or someone) if they have passed on.