Healthy Living

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A NEED GREATER THAN FOOD AND WATER, PART I

Paul Connors seemed to have it all. He was a senior in high school, the top student in his class, and well on his way to being the class valedictorian. He had made it into Princeton University on not only his grades, SAT scores, and ACT scores but also on a track scholarship. He also lived in a very well-to-do family. His father, Samuel, was a very successful corporate lawyer, and his mother, Mallory, was a high-powered executive for a major fashion industry in the city. He had an eleven-year-old sister named Dina who loved him and looked up to him in every way.

Yes, one might think Paul was happy in every way. He was, however, one of the most troubled people one might meet. He was very depressed, because his parents were so busy with their work that they had little time for Paul and Dina. They often missed Paul's track events and Dina's ballet recitals, and Paul and Dina often ordered pizza or Chinese food or pick up food from restaurants, because their parents were too tired to cook. Very rarely did they go to church together as a family. Samuel and Mallory usually slept in, so Paul and Dina would go alone. When Paul and Dina tried to talk to their parents about how their day went ask their parents about theirs, Samuel and Mallory were often busy doing work they brought home and kept saying, "Not now." Dina was hurt that their parents didn't pay much attention to them, but she took comfort in knowing her older brother cared enough to listen to her describe her days and ask her how they went. Paul was always there to take Dina places and spend time with her. Paul, on the other hand, was deeply hurt by Samuel and Mallory not having that much time for them. He would tell them how he felt, but they were always too busy or too tired to listen. He wanted to talk to them about his nervousness about moving all the way from Seattle to attend school in Princeton--he was a little worried about homesickness and leaving all of his friends and not knowing anyone. He was nervous about expectations he had heard about and worried about not doing well enough at Princeton in order to achieve his dream of becoming a lawyer like Samuel. He wanted to tell them how he and his girlfriend, Bridget, had been fighting a lot lately and he was worried that they wouldn't stay together. His parents were just never around to listen.

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