Jen, I am so proud of you. You deserve this tribute. Just wish I could be among those who will be giving you huge hugs, so will send them via cyberspace. In lieu of my attendance, if someone would read the following few lines and give you that hug, I would be delighted. Congratulations and love!

– Lois

Unfortunately the Time Space Continuum has prevented me for meeting Jen face to face. Even so during a time when she was overwhelmed and overburdened with her own problems, she stood up for me, a person she had never even met. For that she has my deepest appreciation and respect. After the unfortunate events, we have corresponded and have come to feel like kindred spirits. Meeting her holds the highest position on my bucket list – something I hope will happen soon. Think Galapagos, Jen. My 80th is in November, so we’d better make it soon.

Lots and lots of hugs!

– Lois Schwartz”

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Please send my best regards and loving thoughts to Jeannette.
Congratulations on overcoming all life has thrown at you. Big hugs!

– Connie Beneteau from Chatham
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I wish I could attend on Saturday but I am in Toronto so it’ll be a bit of a long commute!

I met Jeanette about a year after this life-changing incident and since then I have watched her regain control of her life and start anew. What a courageous woman and an inspiration. May her story and her experience help many others with their struggle. You go girl!

– Mary Beth Denomy from Toronto

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I hope Ernie can still include this in your dinner’s honoring ceremony!

So happy you all are all together celebrating with Jeannette… there’s so much she has overcome, and today, she is in such a different place than she was four years ago! Praise God for that! Her resilience and joyful spirit has prevailed, and she will continue onward and upward! I am so proud of her I could do a wild summersault on the dinner table right now in front of you all! Please lift a toast for me – to my dear Jeanette, my mermaid sister, a woman who celebrates miraculous healing, who has what it takes to go through it all—to get to the “other side” of that nasty nasty Rogue Wave – and live out the amazing adventures and accomplishments she has ahead in her future! May she be filled with our abundant love for her!!!!

– Ann Brainard in St. Joseph, MI, – fellow mermaid and sailor of the seas
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Greetings, Roger and I would be delighted to attend!

– Susan Peacock-Hacking

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We are sorry that we cannot attend but please congratulate Jeanette on her anniversary with your organization.

We wish her continued happiness and success. It is almost three years since we first met Jeanette and her dad in Cuba. I think of her and her dear sweet dad, John often. He will always make my heart smile. All the best Jeanette!

– Kathi Cain & Des Hayles from Sarnia

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Martin and I would like to send our best wishes and prayers for another great year in Jeanette’s new life in Ottawa! Jeanette has become such a good friend and a blessing in our lives over the years as we have journeyed with her and her parents through her struggles. Good things do come out of the struggles we each endure in this life, and Jeanette’s life, as each of ours, is still unfolding, as the beauty of the life God has for each of us continues to surprise us in so many good ways. Blessings to everyone who gathers to celebrate Jeanette’s first year in Ottawa!

– Martin & Pennie Vandenbroek from Chatham

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Congratulation Jeanette for the first year of your new professional life. I’m sorry I can’t be with you to celebrate. You are part of a great team that help people in many ways. You are a great example for others who also suffers from abusive relationship and legal injustice. Keep up the good work and I wish you happiness and success in your life.

Peace and Love!

– Réjean Dion fromCharlottesville, Virginia
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Dear Jen, Even though you’ve been gone from the marina for a while now, I’m grateful we’ve remained such close friends. I miss your cheerful smile and friendly wave.

With love,

– Jan the Doberman Lady! from Tavernier, Florida Keys.

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Greetings from Spain! Sounds like you will all have a wonderful time celebrating with my dear cousin this evening! Please give Jeanette a big congratulatory hug from me!

Cheers!

– Henry from Vancouver

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Hallo my loving niece. It is really a pity that we could not be in Ottawa to be at your party. Life was not easy for you the last few years but you did very well and you are happy with your job. We hope you have a good future.
Have a nice party!

With Love from your Dutchies.

– Tante Jeanne and Om Aad Brabander from Monster, Netherlands

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It’s wonderful to see Jeanette go forward and move on with her life. I am sure she has been an asset to your team. I am unable to join you in this invite but my thoughts are with Jeanette in this time of celebration.

Wish her the very best with lots of hugs from myself and our family

– Cousin Nel Denys from Chatham.

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Thank you for the invitation. We will not be able to make it however, we would like to congratulate Jeanette on the 1st Anniversary of her new career and would appreciate it if you can pass on our good wishes!

Sincerely,

– Elizabeth and Michael Marchand from Toronto

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As Jeanette’s closest cousin, I would just like to acknowledge on behalf of myself and my immediate family including my mother, my 2 sisters and a brother, how proud we are of how far Jeanette has come this past year in embracing her new life, a new career and a new and exciting future. Through all the trauma and heartache of the last few years, Jeanette and I have become extremely close so that now we call one another sisters.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Ernie for his endless and immeasurable support of Jeanette as well as of her broken and devastated family. The fact that Jeanette is now in a place where she is excited about the work that she is doing as well as future possibilities and has grown in her desire and ability to help others victims of trauma has I believe much to do with the patience, kindness, love and support that you’ve shown her and her family through this most difficult time in her life. May God continue to bless you, your family and your work.

Love,

– Corry Ryken from Toronto

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Unfortunately, my wife, Lise, and I have an unavoidable commitment this coming Saturday, and therefor will not attend what should be a wonderful evening.However we would like to warn Jeanette about her life ahead.

Of course we would not want to minimize the joy everyone will experience in her company, but we thought we should offer some reality advice to Jeanette about ” the attorney”, if it’s not too late!

In a nutshell, if you don’t want to work 27 hours a day ( that’s right, there are 27 hours in Ernie’s day and he’s usually at three places at once) and if you don’t want to research the impossible in seven different languages and without any direction (that’s right, Ernie actually trusts people to know what he’s doing)— THEN get away fast. If it’s too late, as I suspect it may be, then prepare yourself for the friendship of a lifetime and a journey of exceptional discovery at every turn up and in the road.

You may recall the old adage: out of the frying pan and into the fire????Well Jeanette, in your case,now it will be the reverse…..BUT the pan you are getting into will be comforting and encouraging and above all,dependable.

Welcome to a great life with some wonderful friends.

– Skip and Lise Brooks from Gatineau