The Art of Friendship
Reader's Digest US|July - August 2023
A painter sees the people so many others ignore
Sarah Chassé
The Art of Friendship

IT ALL STARTED with a simple question: "Can I paint your portrait?" In the summer of 2015, Brian Peterson and his wife, Vanessa, had just moved to Santa Ana, California. Outside the couple's fourth-floor apartment, an unkempt homeless man was often yelling on the street corner, sometimes keeping them awake at night. Peterson, 28, would pass the guy on his way to his job as a car designer at Kia Motors, but they never spoke. What could they possibly have in common?

One day, Peterson was relaxing in his living room, reading the book Love Does, about the power of love in action, when his quiet was disturbed by the homeless man. Inspired by the book's compassionate message, Peterson made an unexpected decision: He was going to go outside and introduce himself.

In that first conversation, Peterson learned that the man's name was Matt Faris. He'd moved to Southern California from Kentucky to pursue a career in music, but he soon fell on hard times and ended up living on the street for more than a decade.

Denne historien er fra July - August 2023-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July - August 2023-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA READER'S DIGEST USSe alt
Do You Kiss Your Dog? - Find out how gross your questionable habits really are, according to health experts
Reader's Digest US

Do You Kiss Your Dog? - Find out how gross your questionable habits really are, according to health experts

I admit it, when it comes to food, I have some eeew-inducing practices, like skimming mold off old cheddar and feeding the rest to my unsuspecting family. We're still alive, so how bad can it be? Because our gross human habits fall somewhere along the spectrum from mildly cringeworthy to full-on repulsive, I reached out to experts to find out where some common behaviors land on the gross-o-meter.

time-read
7 mins  |
September 2024
What's Ailing Our Doctors? - Today's physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too.
Reader's Digest US

What's Ailing Our Doctors? - Today's physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too.

Today’s physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too. America's doctors are in crisis. Six in 10 physicians say they're burned out, with burnout rates for some specialties, such as primary care, reaching 70%. When polled by the American Medical Association, 40% of doctors said they were considering leaving their practices in the next two years. Another study, conducted by health-care industry publisher Elsevier, revealed concerns about mental health and burnout: 63% of med students in the United States reported that they had no intention of practicing clinical medicine after graduation and will instead work as lab researchers or academics. This is despite a predicted shortage of 124,000 physicians over the next 10 years.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Now Hear This
Reader's Digest US

Now Hear This

Losing your hearing suddenly, even if there is no pain, is always urgent

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
Go for the Gumbo
Reader's Digest US

Go for the Gumbo

The soulful stew synonymous with Louisiana is delicious anywhere you eat it

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2024
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Reader's Digest US

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Pinned by a giant boulder, a hiker had two choices: panic or gut it out. He did both.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Fathers of the Bride
Reader's Digest US

Fathers of the Bride

A young woman finds a unique way to honor the many men who helped her survive her childhood

time-read
8 mins  |
September 2024
MY SMART PET
Reader's Digest US

MY SMART PET

These clever critters are some smart C-O-O-K-I-E-S

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2024
How Hobbies Help Us
Reader's Digest US

How Hobbies Help Us

Far from a waste of time, pastimes are good for body, brain and spirit

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
1+1 = MORE (or LESS)
Reader's Digest US

1+1 = MORE (or LESS)

A math whiz encourages you to play with your numbers

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
That Kind of Time
Reader's Digest US

That Kind of Time

A dressing-room encounter made me get real about aging

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024