From Our Readers

Hope This is just a brief note to express our deepest appreciation for the series “Hope​—Where Can You Find It?” (April 22, 2004) We read it together as a family, and by the time we got to the end, we were choking back the tears. The artwork with the flower was a beautiful visual touch.

H. H. & L. H., United States

My mother died a week before I received this issue, and I found great comfort in the words “The dead are in the safest situation imaginable, like an infant protected within its mother’s womb.” I am still grieving over my mother’s death, but I am happy that she is safe in Jehovah’s memory.

V. L., United States

I have been reading Awake! for nearly 50 years, and it never ceases to amaze me that you can take a subject that you have talked about many times and come up with a fresh approach. That research on pessimism was truly worthy of consideration.

T. H., United States

I have a terminal illness. I try to stay positive, but today I woke up feeling despair. So I read and reread the articles. There was a depth of understanding in the articles, and I derived a great deal of comfort from them.

B. J., Britain

My husband is fighting cancer. I was feeling a lot of stress in caring for our children. Also, I have lost my job. But the section “Reasons for Hope” gave me strength. I want to share this article with as many people as possible.

Y. N., Japan

When something bad happens to me, I have a tendency to panic. These articles are an answer to a prayer! The steps to overcoming a pessimistic outlook were so specific that when pessimistic thoughts appear, I am able to apply the steps one by one. I keep this series at my bedside and look at it every day.

S. T., Japan

Preening Birds Preening birds have always been a common sight where I live. Having read the article “Just Keeping Up Appearances?” (April 22, 2004), I now appreciate the many benefits preening brings to birds. I want to thank you for your educational presentation of information about God’s unique creatures.

F. K., Nigeria

I read articles on plants, animals, and birds with great pleasure. I learned from this article that for birds, cleanliness is a matter of life and death. I never thought about this before.

K. G., Russia

Dance Clubs Thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . What About Youth Dance Clubs?” (April 22, 2004) I agree that such clubs are not for Christians. I regret that I didn’t know Jehovah earlier in my life when I used to go to such clubs.

L., Indonesia

To be honest, I have gone to places where I should not have. I love dancing, and I always made excuses. The next day I would feel guilty. It wasn’t that I did anything bad; it was what everybody around me was doing! The article exposed the truth about dance clubs​—that many are dangerous and immoral.

D. K., Australia