By Terra Avilla
If you ever want proof that kindness matters, let me tell you about the how it has fully shaped my relationship with our very own Mary Weekly.
My sweet, sweet Mary came into my life one day, long ago. She was little, maybe nine or ten years old. It was a sad…the type of day that you remember in your law enforcement career.
I remember hugging her, and her momma. Little did I know that little bit of empathy would help me embark in a lifelong relationship with this miraculous and resilient young woman.
The absolute beauty of our community, (I know I have said it again and again) is the proximity in which we live, work, and grow up with one another. I have gotten to see little Mary blossom.
Every time I saw Mary since that fateful day, I was always greeted with that 1,000-watt smile and the warmest of warm hugs. She truly made my day better every time I saw her. I got to watch her grow from a little girl into the beautiful young woman she is today, and even better my girls get to have “Ms. Mary” as a role model.
Ms. Mary is currently a senior at Lassen High School. Aside from being incredibly smart, Mary spends all of her time dancing. (She is a beautiful Kickette) and spends a lot of her time teaching the littlest dancers to follow in her footsteps. And let me tell you, she is a great teacher.
She has a knack for teaching even the squirelliest little dancers and is so sweet and loving to them. In a crowd of people, Peach will see Mary and make a beeline for her favorite Kickette to go get a hug from her. Turns out my daughter loves Mary’s hugs too.
Mary is sweet, modest, hardworking and kind. She is also incredibly brave. I remember watching her compete in the Miss Lassen County Scholarship program and was in awe of her poise.
I love Mary so much, I hope she realizes what she has done for me throughout my career.
Mary is a reminder of the importance to not let the job harden you, but also to remember how the smallest actions can have the biggest impacts. I am so proud of her, as she plans to fly out of the nest (Susanville) for college, but I am also so sad. I am really going to miss her.
My little Mary is all grown up, and while I know she will be successful where she goes, I am really going to miss seeing that beautiful smile light up my day.
No matter where she goes, I want her to know I will be back here, waiting for my Mary hug and that she will always be one of the reasons I love where we live.
