I remember playing the songs we wrote for Scarlett Lewis in my manager’s apartment in SoHo. Scarlett had sent me two letters about losing her young son in the shootings at Sandy Hook and didn’t know we were there to play for her. The experience was one I’ll never forget, one I’ve written about it before both here and in the second For The Sender book.

But the one thing I remember most is what she said about what she hoped her deep loss would accomplish.

She said she hoped the shooting of her son would shine a light on a deficit in this world.

I hope I’ve helped shine a small light.

Once a week we’re posting my thoughts on the message from each For The Sender chapter, making our way through both books and giving away a book autographed by the For The Sender family each time.

Here’s Chapter 3, Book 2. Share your story of answering darkness with light in the comments below and we’ll choose a post and send you a book autographed by the For The Sender family.