Letters from the Lost Entry 7

1

God,2

I think it's getting better… for my history teacher anyways. I had a meeting with him afterschool today. There were a few points on our project I didn't understand, and afterwards I asked why he said what he did about the world yesterday. And I sat there for almost two hours hearing his story and telling him about mine. Apparently he had a friend who went off to Vietnam and another who ran away to San Francisco. He was left in him home town to deal with it all. He wasn't able to go fight because he has flat feet? I have no clue what that has to do with it. He got a few letters from them, telling him about what was going on with their lives. It turns out it sucked on both sides. His friend is SF was dealing drugs and getting STDs with no way to cure them because he couldn't get any money. His friend who was off fighting started to not sound like himself. This person was apparently always nice and saw the silver lining, now he sounded hard and lost. They ended up dying within a month of each other. His friend in SF was never returned home to be buried. 3

He thought that the war was something worth fighting for but after his friend changed so dramatically in such a short time he couldn't believe that anymore. And everyone said the hippies were worthless, cowardly, freaks. Apparently after this whole ordeal he dealt with a serious depression, and is still going to therapy to deal with it. 4

I told him all about Shelly, and how we lost her. How I couldn't believe that a god could take such a pure innocent soul away from us so soon. But I was proven wrong, I went to church one night and heard about how the end is near and how Jesus is going to take us away from all of the bad that is going to happen. How some people could see this as silly or very dark, but it spoke to me. I heard that Shelly was taken to a place with happiness immeasurable and that she'll always be there. I was still here to try to help more people so they could be taken away from all the evil in world as well. 5

Mr. Conroy found hope in what I said. Somehow in this short time I was able to pray with him, and he's now a Christian. I'm amazed at how You know just where to place me and how You give me the right words to say. Thank You. 6

I just wish I could find the right words for Marilyn. She came home with a tongue piercing today. Why does she think she can get away with this stuff? It never works, mom always pulls it out of her head. But she'll come home with another one in a week. She's completely isolated herself now. She won't talk to anymore, she just screams all the time. Mom thinks there's something wrong. Well of course, people aren't supposed to scream all the time. But she thinks medical or psychological, so yay! more doctors. Can you hear the sarcasm? She doesn't even go to youth group anymore. She used to love going to just be a teenager, like she used to be. That was the only place she acted like my sister still. But now she's a completely different person. I miss my sister. Because she's isolated herself, she's isolated me. I don't get to talk to my best friend; I don't even know what's going on with her. Then mom and dad look at me like I should go and talk to her or know what's going on with her. But there's nothing left for me to do. Except pray. 7

Please just stay with her, keep her safe. Don't let her get an infection from these stupid piercings she constantly gets. Please give me the right words to say to her like I did with Mr. Conroy. Give mom and dad strength, and stop them from looking at me like I have all the answers with Marilyn. Because I don't, I never have. Stay with Mr. Conroy, let him feel your presence. Don't let him turn the light back off.8

Love, 9

Jaquelyn10