From Our Readers

Drug Abuse

I am an avid reader of your informative journal. However, in the November 22, 1987, copy it contained an article about a person who turned from a life of drug abuse to that of a God-fearing live-happily-ever-after type (“I Sought a Simpler Life Through Drugs”). It’s my understanding that persons involved in drug and/​or alcohol abuse experience (1) symptoms of withdrawal, (2) long-range recovery with proper treatment; [it is] also considered a family disease because the whole family is affected. None of these issues were discussed in that article.

T. F., United States

Of course, one person’s experience does not cover all facets of the drug problem. Issues mentioned by our reader have been considered in earlier articles, such as: “Young People Ask . . . How Can I Recover From Drug Abuse?” (July 8, 1986) and “Young People Ask . . . How Can I Break Free From Drugs?” (September 22, 1985).​—ED.

Infant Death

I would like to express our [National SIDS Foundation] appreciation for the excellent, accurate and extensive coverage which you produced about ‘Sudden Infant Death Syndrome’ in your January 22, 1988, issue of Awake! The numbers which your publication reaches is astounding and certainly enhances our efforts at public education . . . I am wondering if you could send me copies of the January 22nd issue in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian and Russian.

C. S., Western Regional Director, United States

On January 18, 1988, my husband and I were faced with the death of our beautiful three-and-a-half-month-old daughter from sudden infant death syndrome. Imagine our disbelief that this actually happened to us right at the time Awake! (January 22, 1988) printed an article about it! Even though such a terrible tragedy occurred, it has drawn all of us closer together, and so many friends told us they went back and reread that article about SIDS so that they would know what to do for us and say to us. Meals were prepared; they did cleaning, yard work, and tree trimming; generous contributions were given to help us cover expenses, and so forth. Please continue with those timely articles.

L. G., United States

In the January 22 Awake!, page 4, paragraph 2, it says that the baby [in a case before King Solomon] who died was only three days old. I’m not sure that’s correct. It seems to me that the Bible (1 Kings 3:18, 19) says that the babies were born three days apart and that at some unspecified time “later,” the one baby died.

M. B., United States

You are correct. The conclusion that the child was three days old was reached by the pathologist quoted in “Awake!” and was inadvertently included in the material.​—ED.

I am 12 years old and would like to thank you very much for the article in Awake! of December 8, 1987, “Young People Ask . . . How Can I Face My Grief?” Just six weeks earlier I had lost my little brother, who was stillborn. Although I never got to know him, it still hurt as much as if I had lost my eight-year-old sister. The article helped me understand that crying is normal and not a sign of weak faith.

P. K., Federal Republic of Germany