White haired, past seventy, she’d had a hard life.

Growing up in a broken home she married at 19, divorced, became an alcoholic – AA rescued her.

Hair greying, calling herself a ‘MAGA-Granny’ she cheered Trump – got breast cancer. Biden beat Trump. She had surgery. Before starting chemotherapy flew to Trump’s Stop the Steal rally, marched into the Capitol Rotunda.

Eight months later, two FBI agents knocked on her door. A judge gave her two months in prison, three years probation.

A year after she got out of prison, looking back, she had a change of heart – moved on from MAGA.

Last January, Trump pardoned her, along with 1500 other rioters. She said, ‘I pleaded guilty because I was guilty.’ Turned down the pardon. MAGA world erupted, pounding her.

The Lord sent a blessing.

This letter, she posted, made every sleepless night more than worth it.

Staid, voice flat, Mike Pence sat upright in his chair when Major Garrett asked him about Pamela Hemphill. He’d written her, Pence said, to encourage her in her faith – and to thank her for standing up for the Rule of Law. Voice slower, but stronger, Pence added, In time we’ll get back to that kind of integrity and faith in America and she’ll be remembered as helping.

*******

Telling stories, in his memoir Carter Wrenn follows The Trail of the Serpent twisting and turning through politics from Reagan to Trump. Order his book from Amazon.