Jeni Stepanek, the mother of young poet and peacemaker Mattie Stepanek, knew former President Jimmy Carter as few did — as a neighbor and friend.
Carter died at the age of 100 on Sunday.
Stepanek said that Carter served as a mentor to Mattie, who spoke and wrote about the cause of peace. Mattie was diagnosed with dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, a condition that Stepanek didn't know she has.
Mattie died at 13, and Jeni Stepanek’s other children died from the disease. She said that Carter was instrumental in helping her through her grief.
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“When Mattie died, he became a dear friend of mine, and he began mentoring me as well,” Stepanek said. “And so he tried to support Mattie's Foundation, his namesake Foundation, and teach me to be a leader. And he just mentored me as a friend and somebody that was coping with a lot of challenges.”
She also said they went through chemotherapy together and that he would call her to give her encouragement and come to her speaking events.
Stepanek said that Carter was truly passionate about peace and the causes he believed in.
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“President Carter didn't just talk peace. He didn't just walk peace. He embodied peace,” she said. “People mattered to him. Humanity mattered to him. The world mattered to him. Ecology mattered to him. Everything mattered to him, and it was authentic.”
Out of all the lessons she learned as his mentee, the one Stepanek said sticks out the most is the importance of love.
“The love that he had for his wife was so authentic. The love that he had for his neighbors, for Jan, for George, for his family members, for his children — the love that he had for people was authentic,” she said. “And some people think you have to put feelings aside to do your job. I learned from Jimmy Carter that your feelings are a part of your job.”
