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Talking About Life and Death
by Sally Matheny Have you ever struggled talking with someone about serious life and death matters? It’s difficult. Especially when you’re a teen. Jan and I were seventeen years old and looking forward to graduation when it happened. Growing a Friendship Our friendship had begun only a year and a half earlier. Jan’s family had recently moved to North Carolina from Ohio. The school year was already in process. Jan was the new kid without friends. Sixteen years old, and diagnosed with cancer. Before Jan’s first day at our school, our Junior Civinettes club leader asked a few of us to go with her to visit Jan at her house.…
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Sharing the Son Means Leaving the Shade
by Sally Matheny My enthusiasm glittered with the morning sun. It was my first time serving a meal at the project. People slowly filtered into the commons area. My cheerful greetings were not returned. Instantly, I sensed a divide greater than the table between us. They had come for the food. Nothing else. Searching in Silence An inexplicable heaviness stifled communication. Icy silence, as well as sharp tongues, severed most attempts at interaction. It was obvious. We were not welcome. After helping distribute the food, I retreated under the outstretched branches of a tree. Thankfully, I’d thought to bring a lawn chair. It provided a secure…
