Slicing Onions

"I can't wait for the school carnival on Friday!" said Skylar. "My mom's working at the slushy booth. She's gonna make me a slushy with every flavor in it!""My dad's helping out with the pin game," said Gabriel. "He said there are some cool prizes for whoever knocks them all down!""What about you, Nevaeh?" asked Skylar. "Is your grandpa helping?"Nevaeh shook her head. "No, he can't work at a booth--he can't be on his feet for long periods of time." "That's too bad," said Gabriel. Nevaeh smiled and shrugged. "It's okay," she said. "No big deal."When Nevaeh got home from school, Grandpa greeted her. "How about some of my famous guacamole?" he said. "I have to put the lawnmower away, but if you'll start cutting up the onions, I'll be back in a jiff to make the rest." "Okay," said Nevaeh. But as soon as she sliced into an onion, her eyes started to tear up. The onion must be making my eyes water, she thought. But even after she put down the knife, the tears kept coming. When Grandpa came back inside, Nevaeh was sobbing. "I'm sorry, Grandpa!" Nevaeh cried. "I keep trying to accept that I can't live with Mom or Dad and be thankful that I live with you, but when Skylar and Gabriel were talking about their parents working at the school carnival, I really wished my parents were working there too!""Your grandmother never wanted to bother anyone with her feelings either," Grandpa said. "So whenever I sensed something was wrong, I'd ask her to cut up some onions, and the same thing would happen to her--the tears would just come out." He gave Nevaeh a hug. "But your feelings aren't bothersome to those who love you, Nevaeh. Whenever you feel sad or upset, you don't need keep it to yourself. You can tell me--it won't hurt my feelings to know that you miss your parents. And most importantly, you can tell Jesus. He loves you and can handle any feelings you have."Grandpa cut into an avocado. "I may not be able to help with a booth, but I could bring some guacamole to your school carnival. How about that?" Nevaeh smiled and nodded. –Courtney Lasater