From Kelly: "Over twenty years ago, I made the worst decision in my life. A decision that I regret every day, that I wake up and face every day. A decision that I would give ANYTHING to change, to take back, to redo. Unfortunately, we can not undo the past. We can not hit the reset button and start over. We must learn from our mistakes and find a way to move on, even when we feel as if we physically can not. Even when we feel as if we do not deserve to. We must figure out a way to wake up every day, keep going, and live every day with the guilt and remorse that follows everywhere you go. It took me a long time to accept that I made choices when I was seventeen that ended in the death of a fellow classmate, that I deserve to pay for those choices, that no matter how hard I pray, or how hard I try, I cannot change the past. I have accepted responsibility, and I have prayed for forgiveness. I am not the same girl that I was 21 years, 5 months, one week, and one day ago. I have grown, matured, and spent every day becoming a better person, a better friend, a better sister, and a better daughter. I stumble and I fall.... a lot. But I get up every day and I keep going, I keep trying. I have accomplished things that I never dreamed I was capable of achieving. But at the end of the day, all I want is the chance to prove to the world that I have matured into a responsible adult, that I have served my time, and that I can return home to take care of my family. They have stood by me unfailingly, through all of this. And I just want to show them my appreciation for standing in my corner even after I gave them every reason to walk away. I still continue to pull my strength from them. I have also met a lot of awesome people through the years, people that continue to be my friend, that continue to give me the hope and strength to keep going, to keep fighting. I am ever grateful to them. There are so many things that I have missed, so many things that I still want to accomplish, but I can't do it in here. I continue to pray, every day, that someone, somewhere, one day will give me just one chance to be the woman I am outside of these walls. I will never stop dreaming of that day. I know it will come, I have to believe that. Life is full of decisions that we make everyday. Some days, we have to make life altering decisions.... and sometimes the one that we make is wrong. I am truly sorry for what I did, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. I will keep fighting for my chance to prove that, and to prove that I am nothing like I was. So please, keep fighting and keep praying with me. I just want to go home." - Kelly Dara Kelly told me that she feared revealing her heart because she thought that her words would be misunderstood. That her longing for home would be seen as callous. I know her, many of you out there know her, and we know that she is utterly sincere in her remorse. I have heard the anguish in her voice when she speaks of the day of her crime. It is not anguish for herself, but for those that she has hurt. There is a pain within her soul that she must live with every day. A wise man once said, "We are punished not for our sins, but by them." That man was Elbert Hubbard, and he meant that what others do to us is nothing compared to what we do to ourselves. Even if Kelly were to go home tomorrow, she would never be free from the guilt and remorse that she carries with her. It is something that she will have to endure for the rest of her life as the cost of her choices. Every joy, every moment of happiness, will be forever tinged by it. But it was that remorse that caused her to change, to improve, and to become a better person than she was. What that lady has accomplished in remaking her heart is amazing, and that is why I am so very proud of her. I consider it a privilege to know this woman and to stand by her. On August 22nd, we will be kicking off a week long campaign to spread the word about Kelly. I have put up a new flyer on the logistics website, and I ask you to download and print out a few copies and post them in public places like libraries, stores, and colleges. Please talk about this remarkable lady, and ask those that you know or happen to meet in your daily routine to sign her petition to be allowed to apply for parole. If you attend services on Sunday, I ask that you request a prayer for her from your pastor. And if you don't believe, I ask you for positive thoughts for her. Together, we can change her stars. The logistics page for her flyer is here: http://freekelly.freeforums.net/thread/2/kellys-flyer You have to register with the site first in order to download it. Her Facebook page is here: goo.gl/lwFcxP God bless, Bill