Letter of the day: Long-term mentors give much -- and receive much more

The inspiring July 15 article "Creating the ties that bind" was a great reminder of the power of long-term mentoring. To make a real difference in the life of another, and in turn in our own lives, we need to make a significant investment of ourselves. Hats off to Gayle and Susan Mattson, who invested themselves for the past 28 years in the lives of Tara Focht and Debra Easterling. The fruits of their giving are abundant. And, as is often the case, through giving they received even more in return. There are hundreds of young people eagerly awaiting mentors -- especially boys, many of whom have been waiting well more than a year to have a special adult friend of their own. A wide array of mentoring opportunities for individuals, couples and families are available. You can learn more about a mentoring program that would be right for you through the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota.DANIEL JOHNSON, CRYSTAL