Angel Spotlight

Spotlight On...
Mari Otto

For Mari Otto, it all began in 2002 with one soldier who never wrote back. Mari was recovering from a broken leg in September 2001 when she watched television coverage of the terrorist attacks on our country. She knew that she wanted to be involved in some way. Once she discovered the Soldiers’ Angels site, Mari adopted her first soldier. "I sent cards and for awhile it was hard to send care packages due to financial difficulties. I did remember to include him on the holidays. It was something that gave me a worthwhile feeling." In spite of the lack of return correspondence, Mari never stopped writing.

In April 2005, Mari signed up once again for more adoptions. She is on the Letter Writing Team and receives an address every day, Monday through Friday. Once a week she searches the site for those that need additional support. Mari keeps every name, whether or not she receives a reply from the soldier. Some do write back…once, twice, or even regularly. "I will turn no soldier away," Mari comments. "I will write to them as long as they would like me to."

But what does she write about? Mari starts with a general letter and always includes a poem and her email address. In the following letters she mentions the normal things that happen in an average household. Water might be dripping from the faucet and driving her crazy, but it makes for an entertaining story for her letter. Local news tidbits might be included, or stories about her three dogs and two cats or her two teenagers. Every soldier becomes part of her family and as such receives the family news with warmth and humor.

There are some soldiers, though, who need a bit more than humor. "I have a lot of kids facing adult challenges," Mari says. "We discuss how they are feeling about the war and some of the things that they have to face that give them nightmares." Mari recognizes that they are changing and will be changed for life. She lets them start the tough conversations and reassures them that no matter what they see or do, they will always be loved. Advice on family matters is left to the professionals. Mari encourages them to believe in themselves and to recognize how much strength they do have. "Some will talk about the same thing over and over but that is okay because I tell them as long as they vent, one day they will wake up and see that their answer was there all along in their conscience."

Mari is well-qualified to give that kind of assurance. As a single disabled mom from a small town in Illinois, she has confronted difficulty with the same strength and courage that she shares with her soldiers. She writes to the wounded soldiers and tells them that no matter what hardship they are going through, they can overcome it. "Appearance does not count. What counts is what type of person you are on the inside." Mari’s advice is to be angry and then let it go, because "many men and women who have been disabled go on to greatness." She feels that the support from the Angels will make a difference in their lives and give them the encouragement they need to look beyond potential disabilities.

Soldiers’ Angels has made that kind of difference in her own life. Writing letters keeps her mind off her own challenges and gives her encouragement even as she spreads words of encouragement to her soldiers. When a soldier’s situation calls for a certain kind of poem, Mari searches for just the right one. She suggests going to the stores and looking at cards to see the author. Searching that name on the Internet will often yield other poems in different categories. Emily Matthews and Helen Steiner Rice are two of Mari’s favorites for beautiful and inspirational poetry. Mari suggests sending a specific poem that touches your own heart initially and then, if you have continued contact with the soldier, to search for poems that pertain to their own situation.

Mari spreads encouragement, hope and understanding through her letters to soldiers and the families of fallen soldiers. She has looked beyond her own disability and challenges and reached out in the way she knows best, through letters and poems. She thanks Soldiers’ Angels for the rewarding experience, adding that she hasn’t done anything spectacular. "All I have done is nurture, which is my nature."

That’s all? That truly is something spectacular.