Face it square

I was watching the Walton's the other day with my kids. I love the show and the sense of real community that family has. One scene showed me how important it is to have elders around.
Jason's friend found out he was dying from Leukemia. Jason refused to speak to the friend after he found out. He even avoided looking at his friend. Finally, his grandpa confronted him. He sat, tenderly, with Jason on his bed. He told him, "You'll hate yourself if you don't face it square." At first, I thought he was talking about facing his dying friend. So, I rewound it to listen to it again. Grandpa was inviting Jason to face his grief.
You see, Jason had gotten all mixed up. He was overwhelmed with emotions, and didn't know how to deal with them. The easiest way for him to deal with his own sense of vulnerability was to avoid the person who reminded him of it. So, he missed some valuable time with that friend. It is a real shame to miss time with a good friend.
Fortunately for Jason, he had someone willing to confront him. Jason saw it as a gift, and let his grief out. He cried in the arms of his grandpa, and went to visit his friend.