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The Day Freedom Came
“I can’t believe I still have a curfew!” I ranted as my younger sisters watched in silence. “I can’t wait to go to college so I can be free! And you know what I’ll do? I’ll watch TV till midnight, I’ll eat pizza and coke for breakfast, and I’ll even skip classes if I want to!” Leaving home for college is nearly every teenager’s dream. Attending university looks like the door that leads to freedom. But for me, leaving home was not what I expected it to be. My mom and I found my freshman dorm and I ran up the stairs to look for my new room- my ticket…
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Relationships: Are yours Healthy or Unhealthy?
She slammed the front door and sprinted up the stairs. “She’s mad at me…again!” my teenage daughter cried as she plopped on my bed. “I don’t know what to do mom. I feel anxious every morning wondering if she’ll be happy or get mad at me for no reason. She always gossips about other girls and is negative all the time!” “Honey, it’s time to talk about healthy and unhealthy relationships” I said. “How do we know the difference?” she asked. “Well, let’s find out!” I picked up the book I had been reading, The Search for Significance, by Robert McGee. “These are signs of an unhealthy relationship.” When either…
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Lauren’s Story
“Mom!” my daughter exclaimed, “Lauren has cancer”. For a split second I thought I heard wrong, but the fear on my daughter’s face told me otherwise. “What do you mean cancer? She’s only sixteen and she looks perfectly healthy!” I rushed to call her mom, who confirmed the bad news in between sobs : Lauren had been diagnosed with Lymphoma. “It’s highly curable” she explained, “but it will be a tough season for our family. Only God can give us the strength and wisdom we desperately need to survive this nightmare.” Prayer chains erupted throughout town. Their school set up a fund to help with medical costs and tuition. While her…
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A Lesson in Love
I grew up surrounded by a large family in a time when life lacked the current technology but overflooded with imagination and simplicity. My childhood was easy and full of everything I needed and wanted. I graduated from high school and went away to college. My younger sister followed a year later and my youngest sister a year after that. My life continued to be carefree and relaxed. I traveled with friends to the beach on Spring Break, attended every concert in the state and shopped at the mall every weekend. Mom and Dad called every Sunday evening. I was quick to tell them every detail about my busy life,…
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The Red Door
I walked through the glass doors into the cosmetics department, where the elegant sales ladies holding perfume bottles lined the way. Closing time was twenty minutes away. I had no time to waste, so I walked hurriedly, avoiding any eye contact. “Would you like a sample?” A hand came out of nowhere and placed a piece of white paper in my hand. “Let me know what you think. It’s on sale this weekend.” I smiled at the sales lady, thanked her graciously, and looked around for a trash can. My nose caught a whiff of the fragrance as I was about to throw it away. Suddenly I was transported…
