One of my closest DR pals asked me 3 weeks ago to write his friend and pass a note on to him. I did and in return we became friends. Last week I was visiting my close pal and he was out for a visit. The pal I was visiting asked me if I was still writing him. When I told him yes, he said "You do remember that he has an execution date for August 10th" I had no idea, he never discussed it with me in our letters. I follow Texas Death Row closely but lately I've been slacking on keeping up to date with news. My close pal had told me 3 weeks ago that he had a date but I guess I don't remember.

I heard from him today and I guess reality hit me hard because I started crying after reading his letter. I'm not going to stop writing him because he has a date, I'm going to stick with him until the end. I guess my emotions are getting the best of me. I'm scared, and I pray that he gets a stay, but I have this gut feeling he won't. There is that saying "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" I can't even begin to prepare myself.

I have 2 DR pals. They don't have dates, but the one at San Quentin, his good friend has a date (less than a year away). It is tearing my friend up, and made me really sad when he told me.

Strogirl (((hugs)))

I am sorry to hear about your friend. Please just know that we are hear for you, if you need a shoulder to cry on, a ear to listen, or you just need to vent.

I pray that he will recieve a stay, its awful hearing about any execution date being set, but when it is someone that you consider a close friend, I cant even imagine what would be going through your mind right now.

I wish there was more I could say, but just know that we are here for you. :grouphug:

i pray he receives a stay my b/f is on death row he has been going to appeals now for over year waiting for the last appeal all u can do is keep the letter writing going and be there as a friend

I am so sorry.

hugggz,
Suzanne

Strogirl ... you're doing the right thing by sticking with him, and I know that you never probably even considered stopping the friendship. I would think it's real tough, though, to receive letters from him as the end approaches, although at the same time those letters are very much a gift. Both to you and to him.

Just remember that you're giving him something unique in terms of friendship and he obviously wants this to continue ... otherwise, he wouldn't keep writing.

Not having gone down this road before personally, I have nothing but esteem for you and the way you are handling the situation. Good luck to both of you.

:thumbsup:

Ditto what Shimmer has said :)

I suspect that all of us with friends on DR pray that the situation that you find yourself in now never arises for us but in the cold light of day that is a risk we take. Please gain strength from us all, you will be in our prayers. just be his friend right to the end if that's what it takes, together you will get through this, alone his journey would be unbearable.Stay strong, stay positive but most of all stay with him.

Skyblue

Im sorry to hear about your friend , hang in there and stay strong the road ahead is going to be rocky I hope things work out for you

im sorry to hear you are feeling so bad about his date but remember he loves to hear from you and bothing or no-one can take that away from either of you stay strong and positive and i hope he gets a stay we are all here for you whenever you need a friend :)

Thanks everyone for the words of comfort. I'm doing better. I recieved a letter from him a few days ago and I didn't get so emotional. We haven't really discussed his date, we just make small talk and he talks a lot about when he was free, the things he used to do and have, which I think makes it much easier on me and him. He told me that he wishes I had wrote him long before he got a date because he isn't the same person due to the stress and pressure he is under.

Definitely keep writing to him. You will find that you will support each other. I have written to death row inmates for 9 years and have had 3 executed and one commit suicide. It is so hard but it is also so worth it. To know you have helped them like through that. Not a day goes by that I still don't remember my friends and now instead of crying, I smile!

I have been writing to a death row inmate for nearly six years in what has grown into an increasingly close cross-continental friendship. She is continuing her appeals for the moment, but has a friend who had a "date" earlier this year, received a stay for further evidence testing, and, alas, the testing not only did not exonerate her, but proved her guilt beyond a doubt. Not sure what her date may be now, but I believe it is soon.

I wrote my friend asking if there was anything I could do, she wasn't sure but mentioned that her friend had become so depressed she was no longer writing letters. So I sent her stationery, which, as I thought it might, cheered her up a bit and got her interested in writing again.

Mind, when her date comes around, I'll be on the phone to officials and running e-mails out overtime for as long as they may do some good. I do not excuse or condone this woman's crime in any way....but she has been removed from society and is no longer a danger to anyone. Can I look into my own heart and say that I have the perspective and knowledge to determine that she should suffer further? Of course not.

She never acknowledged the things I sent, but I know she was grateful, and I hope she's put the stationery to good use. If she has, perhaps she has made others smile, and isn't that one of the things that we're here for?

His date is two weeks from today. I'm staying postive (which is very hard to do) and praying for a stay but it doesn't look like that will happen. I'm leaving for a trip on Saturday and won't be back until the following Saturday (4 days before his scheduled execution) which means I have to mail my last letter to him this week because I don't want to take a risk with the mail room sitting on his mail for days. It's hard finding the words to say. I've said Goodbye to others but this is just so different and difficult.

I have not had a penpal with a date - yet. I know the time will come tho. I have sent a few cards of - encouragment? to people who have dates coming up and that has been challenging - to find the right words. When there are no words. But as they say actions speak louder than words and i am sure your friends life has been so much easier because you cared enough to be there for him. I will pray he gets a stay too. And do try to have some fun on your trip.

My husband is on death row. This is not an easy subject, for me ever. I did write one Texas inmate, just before his date. I can't say that I knew the right words. I can say that I spoke from the heart. I can also say that just the writing had a profound effect, on my life.

One of the things that I am most reminded of, when the state decides to play God and take a life, is that is not the measure of a man what society would deem him to be. The measure of us all, in the end is in loving and being loved.

Of all the goals that our society teaches us will lead us to success, to love is placed, at the bottom of the list. Somehow, the guys that are on the inside rediscover the value of this precious commodity, in a powerful way. This is especially true of the guys on the row, from what I am learning.

Thus, when others might leave behind them millions of dollars, these inmates leave an unbelievable legacy of enduring love. In my eyes, they leave this world the wealthiest, of us all. For no man has existed in poverty, who has left a lasting mark on another heart, in thier journey through this life.

I pray that I will never face this moment, with my husband. But if it is to be our chosen fate, I would want most for him to know that he will live on, in the hearts of those of us, who love him. For the way that I see it there is no greater success, in this life than to have been loved and have loved in return. There is no greater legacy than to know someone will hold you in thier heart, for a lifetime.

Your friend has left at least one mark, on your own heart. And I know that has to be a comfort to him. And I would believe that knowing he will be remembered fondly will be a comfort, until the end.

God bless you and your friend. My prayers are with you.

Thanks for that Eldon's wife. :) Well I just got back from a trip to Tennessee and I recieved two letters from him which really touched me. I wrote my final letter to him right before I left because I'm not messing with Polunsky's mail room. There are so many things I want to say to him but I can't write him now. I will hopefully see him while I'm visiting my other friend at Polunsky this week. He already told me that he is going to see if he can get the guards to let me talk to him (they sometimes allow that) The pain just gets worse each day.

people !!! keep on fighing for all your pals on the row Davida!!!!! all the innocent/honest ones





One of my closest DR pals asked me 3 weeks ago to write his friend and pass a note on to him. I did and in return we became friends. Last week I was visiting my close pal and he was out for a visit. The pal I was visiting asked me if I was still writing him. When I told him yes, he said "You do remember that he has an execution date for August 10th" I had no idea, he never discussed it with me in our letters. I follow Texas Death Row closely but lately I've been slacking on keeping up to date with news. My close pal had told me 3 weeks ago that he had a date but I guess I don't remember.

I heard from him today and I guess reality hit me hard because I started crying after reading his letter. I'm not going to stop writing him because he has a date, I'm going to stick with him until the end. I guess my emotions are getting the best of me. I'm scared, and I pray that he gets a stay, but I have this gut feeling he won't. There is that saying "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" I can't even begin to prepare myself.

i know just what you are going through and to be honest it never gets any easier but he needs you and yuour words of comform right now, i hope and pray fpor a positive out come for him.