When I became friends with Charlene, I did so for two reasons: I was intrigued by her and wanted to know her better. I viewed her as needy and wanted to help her. While both can be legitimate reasons to start a friendship, the second reason, when misused or mishandled, can end up damaging the […]
Learning from Those We Are Trying to Help Read More »
I remember the moment Charlene told me she was bisexual (because that was easier than telling me she was lesbian, she said later.) Before Charlene, I had never been friends with a non-straight person. Learning her sexuality opened a world of questions in my mind. Is homosexuality wrong? If so, how is that fair when
Is Homosexuality an Identity? Read More »
Charlene was in her early seventies when I knew her. While her quick wit and black hair made her seem young, her frailty and poor health made her seem very old. Her world had narrowed to a small house, a small yard, and tottering steps to doctor appointments and the grocery store. I never realized,
Loving Our Aging Friends Well Read More »
I hated that Charlene smoked. I viewed her cigarettes as a personal enemy—a fiendish dictator who stole her freedom and her health. Some of the few harsh words I spoke to her were about her smoking addiction. The only time I refused to help her was when she asked me to buy her a pack
Helping a Friend Overcome Addiction Read More »
Charlene, my old-lady Ojibwe friend, changed my life. I also changed hers. Through Charlene, I grew familiar with issues I had never faced before in my small, sheltered world. In trying to help her, I learned from her. In a series of blog posts over the next several weeks, I want to explore, through the
Introducing a Blog Series on Helping a Friend through Difficult Issues Read More »
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