The mother’s letter survived four different moves and 24 years, it was destined to reach her son.
Back in March of 2001, Cee Cee Lyles was overjoyed that her young son Jevon had just finished a book from cover to cover. She wanted his kindergarten teacher, Tammy Thurman, to know.
“Dear Ms. Thurman, Jevon read a book last night that he brought home from the library. He read it from cover to cover. I told him I would write you a note and tell you what an outstanding job he did,” Lyles wrote. “We are very proud of him and will continue to work with him at home. Again thank you for your dedication and courage for the job that you do.”
Only months later, Lyles’ story took a tragic turn. She was one of the flight attendants aboard United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. In her final moments, she called her husband and said the passengers were going to fight back. Thanks to her and others on board, the plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field instead of into a crowded Washington, D.C., target, saving countless lives.
Jevon lost his mother that day. But his kindergarten teacher never lost track of the note.
Ms. Thurman kept it safe for more than two decades before handing it to journalist Jon Shainman near Lyles’ hometown of Fort Pierce, Florida. Shainman promised to deliver it to Jevon.
The reunion happened this past September. Along with the letter, Thurman included a class photo featuring 6-year-old Jevon.
“As a mom, I know you need to see those words from your mom,” Thurman told him. “She was a wonderful woman and you were a wonderful student.”
On camera, Jevon read his mother’s words aloud for the first time since they were written. Emotions spilled over.
“It’s very touching…” Jevon said. “It seems very sweet and it seems like something she would definitely say, you know.”
Now a father himself to a 3-month-old, Jevon says he carries her with him every day. And thanks to a letter that traveled 24 years to reach him, he can feel her pride in his hands whenever he wants.
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