On this Saturday evening, December 29, 2007, my cell phone rings at about 5:50 pm CST and I hear:

“Is this David Jeffers?”

“Yes it is.”

“This is Nancy Pelosi and I just wanted to call you and let you know that I got your packet from Congressman Jeff Miller and that I read all of your son Eddie’s articles. I want to first say how sorry I am for your loss and I imagine this must have been a tough Christmas for your family.”

That’s how my conversation with the Speaker of the House began. I told her because of our faith in Christ we were able to rejoice knowing that Eddie was with Jesus. I told her my daughters were able to come home for Christmas and we were thankful for that. She asked about the girls and where they lived and said it was great that they were close enough to come home. She said that it was good that we have a strong faith to lean on.

She said that Eddie’s words were profound and that although he is gone from us, his words will live on forever. She also stated that our soldiers are magnificent and regardless of our differences on the war or its conduct, we can all be thankful for such a wonderful military. We said a couple of more pleasantries and then wished each other a Happy New Year. I thanked her for taking the time to call and that I appreciated it.

Now I know some of you are probably pretty skeptical about her genuineness and I admit I was totally taken aback by her call, but she was very gracious. (Don’t worry; I’m not getting soft on anyone).

But a good friend of mine named Fran said that it is very significant that Ms. Pelosi called me on a Saturday night on my private cell phone, not knowing who she was going to get on the other line or what her reception would be. She didn’t introduce herself as the Speaker of the House, just Nancy Pelosi. We believe that Eddie’s words really touched a cord and she didn’t have to call me because in my personal note I wrote to her, which she addressed, I was pretty hard on her.

In my note I told her that Senator Reid, John Murtha, and she were becoming the enemy that Eddie wrote of in “Hope Rides Alone.” I know she read my letter because she talked about things that were in it.

In this day and age of hate politics, and even if it’s only a moment in time, wouldn’t it be nice to think that maybe, just maybe, Eddie’s letter and in a small way my note made her stop and think? Do I think she’s going to change overnight? No. But as I said when I first read Eddie’s words, I am naïve enough to believe that his words can affect a nation.

It already has.

So why not the Speaker of the House?

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