Growing up in a Seventh-day Adventist home, Sabbath was by far the best day of the week: Dad was home from work, Mom prepared a delicious meal, and my sister and I were done with our studies for the week. Sabbath also meant going to Sabbath school and church, an opportunity to see our friends and possibly to have guests for lunch. Sabbath afternoons often included hikes in the woods, walks on the beach, or riding our bicycles on bike trails. It was a wonderful day for family, worship, and enjoying God’s creation.

I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

It was my first meeting with my mentor, who I’ll call N., and I was brimming with questions and an eagerness to share my experiences and ideas. Unfortunately, what I had envisioned as a conversation, N. interpreted as a monologue.