My world has forever changed since December 2007, when I started to communicate through e-mail with Elly Gross, a Holocaust survivor and author of her life story, “Elly: My True Story of the Holocaust.” She has used her kind words and ways to show me the gift of living every day.

Through the years, I’ve looked through peepholes and gazed into trapdoors in a quest for an amusing way to get lost in the past. She found a way.

She opened up her heart and took the time to listen to one youthful voice, one young woman in the world. She has made history come alive to me. It is because of that connection that I feel this way.

I was so consumed in my selfish world. Being able to have this experience has cleared my eyes from the murky fog. My life has become a new chapter of a book, shoved on a shelf. But she checked out my book and paid attention and read it. She brought me something that I couldn’t get out of any history book, and I am so grateful for it.

I have accomplished my goal of bridging the generation gap between children and adults.

I thank her, for everything she brought to my world. She has left an imprint that will always remain.

Taylor Ouellette, Turner