Stories from the inner city
At the beginning of the new year, many of us resolve to use the word no to avoid unwanted commitments, overextending ourselves, or just protecting ourselves from uncomfortable, inconvenient situations.
D.J. sat alone as dozens of other children gathered together by age at nearby tables. It turned out that 8-year-old D.J. was the only one in his age group, and
Harvey was overburdened by a bitter cocktail of pain and shame, precipitated by the murder of his brother. Following a pattern modeled in his childhood home, Harvey sought solace in
Gabriel Perez was greeting guests during a community outreach when a woman approached in her car. Animated, she yells in his direction. “Where’s Nazari?” came the voice from inside her
As their father lay dying, Jacob used trickery to steal the blessing due his brother Esau. It was the second time he one-upped his older brother, having seized Esau’s birthright
Ronald Palm knew from the onset he couldn’t walk for his graduation from Eastern Illinois University, where he earned summa cum laude honors while completing a degree in interdisciplinary studies.