"You're having a baby? Congratulations! You two are going to be such great parents." I stared at this girl, barely a classmate to me, someone I barely knew well enough to greet in passing when we noticed each other in the hallways. What did she know? How could she say that? Did she know something I didn't? No, it was most definitely a hollow, empty compliment thrown to a couple of teenagers that had messed up. I was being pitied by a stranger. Steeling myself, I bared my clenched teeth into what I hoped resembled a smile and tried to ignore the hot iron bar welling up in my chest.

Christina, Christina where have you gone? I've gone to my heaven and I'm dancing along. I died in my sleep just like we all wish, although I was a bit young and never got to live at the beach. My life went well when I was on earth, my family, husband and good friends made it all the worth and I wish it didn't have to end. I needed a bit more time to do some more things, but I did get in a lot as short as its been.

I’m thankful for my son. For his giggles, his creativity, and his random hugs. I’m thankful for having his unconditional love.

Chapter 1: The beginning It had been bittersweet leaving my family behind. We were about to go to America and not just to America but to New York. I had heard so many stories about America. It was the land of the free and the home of the brave. I could have the chance to become anyone I dreamed of becoming. As the taxi approached the airport the nervousness started to settle into my stomach as if I was about to throw up. I looked up at my mum. In my eyes she was the true definition of beauty and brains. Long curly hair that perfectly shaped her beautiful milk chocolate skin, slim body that definitely had snapped back after she had birthed me. She had this exotic look to her as if she was mixed with all types of ethnicity.My mother was not affectionate at all. I never understood why but in my eyes she was a Queen. A Queen that unfortunately didn’t know her worth. Instead of voicing my nervousness, I continued to look out the window of the taxi and didn’t even realize the taxi had came to a halt. We were going to America so my mother could be with her boyfriend. It was a drastic and very hard decision for her. For her to pack us up from all we have know our lives and follow a man she deep down inside new didn’t even deserve her on her worst day.As we walked through the airport, fear started to dawn on me. What if he kicks us out? What if he beat her like he did so many times before? I started to panic.” This was not a good idea” I thought frantically. “Mom, do we really have to move to America. What about Ma and Pa and all our family” I exclaimed. My eyes started to brim over with tears. My eyesight started to get so blurry.I didn’t even notice the huge suitcase they just put on top of my Porcelain doll, that my mother had just placed on the conveyor belt. I looked at my mum’s face as she told be to “be quiet and to hurry up”. I could see she was bothered but i guess the love she had for her boyfriend, gave her the motivation she needed to walk through the last metal dector. As we gathered our personal belongings, I noticed my porcelain doll coming through. I loved Sarah so much. My mom had bought her and had her painted to look just like me. As I picked her up and went to hug her, I noticed a huge crack from the top of her hair to her left ear. “Mom they broke Sarah!” I screamed. At this age, to me Sarah was pretty much dead. Her face was mutilated by the stupid security who threw a suitcase on her face. My mother looked at me and told me blankly to put her in the trash next to the x-ray machine.”But Mum!” I cried. “You can’t take that broken glass on the plane” she replied. I looked at her in disbelief. I slowly put Sarah in the trash as tears overflowed on my face. “ Sorry little girl” said a big heavy set bald security officer as he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. I looked at him through my tears and said “ok” almost so quiet that if the words hadn’t came out of my mouth, I wouldn’t even of heard it. We walked briskly to the plane as I cried over the pain of losing my favorite toy ever. “Sit”, my mum said abruptly as she interrupted my memories of when I first received Sarah. I sat down in the middle seat and looked out the window at the Tarmac. The plane started to slowly take off. As we climbed higher and higher into the sky. I looked down at my home, my country.I prayed for a safe arrival and that maybe just maybe my mum could find me another Sarah. Little did I know the beginning of the my life’s destruction was but only 22 hours away.

The wind came rushing towards me in a cold hard force, nearly knocking me off my feet. I was alone, completely alone. The grass was shining with the sun, but I did not feel the warmth that the sun always provides. I only felt the cold, damp wind around me. I didn’t know where I was, but it felt wrong to be standing here alone. My eyes were opened but I couldn't see where I was. it was like a sheet was placed on me and I couldn't get it off to see.

For part 1 and part 2. A little more about dad At 28, my father broke his back while hunting. He and a friend were on horseback riding up a small steep draw in the hills near our home. The friend’s horse stopped when he reached the top of the hill and my father’s horse, who was behind the friend’s horse, lost balance on the steep incline and rolled over backward on top of my dad as they both rolled down the hill, breaking his back. He told me that the only thing that went through his head while rolling down the hill was to protect the new rifle he had just bought.

Although there are a million reasons why! In this post, I will highlight just 5 reasons Black mothers support their LGBTQ children. Despite the reality of living in a world that still sadly communicates all sorts of negative messaging about and towards LGBTQ people and those who support them. Let us as Black mothers be ever so mindful and unapologetically resolved to refute every one of them. Crumbling every negative message with the kryptonite of the power of our unconditional love for our children. Let us encourage one another (as well as others) to do the same until "LoveWins" is a reality and not just a hashtag!

Vacation is something we dream about all year. The beach, slow mornings, new memories and experiences, sunshine…and family. Have you ever realized how each family member has their own agenda for vacation? Those different agendas often clash and when we’re not in the heat of the moment, it’s pretty funny to look back and reflect on. That’s why I wrote this sketch. I was laughing while writing this, because it reminded me my family and myself so much! I’m sure you can relate to one of these personalities (if not all of them), and can name which family member belongs in which category.

When I made the decision to postpone preschool for my twins after COVID-19 hit, I was definitely overcome with a mix of frustration and happiness. I’ve truly loved teaching Ames and Joules new things at home, but—to be totally honest—it can be a little tiring when there’s nobody else to help. For the past ~3 years, the twins have been at home with me. They’ve never been to a mother’s day out, daycare, or any type of organized schooling during the week. We tentatively plan to put the twins in preschool this next Spring 2021—but, until then, I am doing what I can to keep Ames and Joules learning at home. That said, through research online, reading reviews, and talking with other moms, I’ve found some very useful educational material to ease the process of keeping my twins learning at home in the interim.

It is difficult to celebrate a heritage that is constantly rejecting you. You never felt Dominican enough. You always felt a need to overcompensate for some of your “undominican” behavior. You took classes to learn how to dance bachata and salsa. Still, your latinadad was constantly in question. You don’t look Dominican. You don’t sound Dominican. Those words were often spoken to you.

For my entire life people have always been surprised to learn that I speak Spanish. This is typically followed with something along the lines of "No way, you don't look Spanish at all." I know, right? The blonde hair, blue eyes, it always throws people off. This never bothered me, in fact, quite the opposite. From a young age speaking Spanish was like my secret superpower. I'd love to surprise people with a simple "gracias!" or casually dropping in to conversations in Spanish. On a few occasions I've actually pulled out my cell phone to have a pretend conversation with "Papá" when unsuspecting victims were saying things they probably would have preferred I didn't understand.

It was never an unusual sight to see my great grandmother handing out homemade papa rellena to everyone in her Queens neighborhood. The community would pitch in money to buy bulk foods like potato, rice, meat just so they can give it to her to cook it. You may have even seen my grandmother running her own concession stand in the busy bustling streets of Puerto Rico where she would put her own touch on pastelillos that would make anyone stop dead in their tracks just to taste. When I started my own food journey through The Bronx Vegan, it may have been a surprise to my family that I was taking on a new approach to food but when you look at the dedication and passion for food that runs through my family history, this work really isn’t so surprising at all.

Hand-me downs were my friend. There was nothing wrong with that because at five years old I new my parents couldn't afford brand new clothes and toys. Fortunately, I was a child that appreciated everything and asked for nothing. I grew up that way of being nice, but, maybe I was a little too nice.

While this additional time spent together was a welcome treat for many who would have otherwise never have got the chance, for some it was pressure on an already strained relationship.

With Thanksgiving nearing and covid-19 cases rising, families have been faced with the difficult decision- to eat delicious foods and socialize with family or skip the annual holiday traditions. With all 50 states having different regulations, travel been shunned, and potential stubborn high-risk family members who will attend- people are considering another option for their holiday get together- virtual meetings!

"You're having a baby? Congratulations! You two are going to be such great parents." I stared at this girl, barely a classmate to me, someone I barely knew well enough to greet in passing when we noticed each other in the hallways. What did she know? How could she say that? Did she know something I didn't? No, it was most definitely a hollow, empty compliment thrown to a couple of teenagers that had messed up. I was being pitied by a stranger. Steeling myself, I bared my clenched teeth into what I hoped resembled a smile and tried to ignore the hot iron bar welling up in my chest.

Exhaustion, doubt and worry are no strangers to parents. Not everyone talks about it but we are all navigating parenthood in very different ways and 2020 hasn’t made it any easier.

I will be loved, and I am loving in return. Your intentions in life right from the moment I saw your beautiful soul was taken away from you. Your entire world was gutted by the one and only evil and potent spirit of what they call the satanic scriptures and the Babylon of life. We did not ask to be born in such a hostile environment, for your intentions throughout life were always innocent and beautiful, you were given to the hands of the devil. You were handed in the palms of my worst nightmare and your living nightmare.

This year has been a f***ing show, okay? It's been so bad, I've started using Gen Z vocab, bet. I'm a millennial, for context reasons. Currently in a weird but no commitment relationship that my family don't understand and still in college getting a degree that they don't understand either.

When I was younger, the holidays were great and seemed to last a lifetime. It seems that back then families did so much more together but maybe it's just that it's my family so I don't notice it anymore. When I was younger our family got together for the annual party. It was my Grandmas, Aunts and Uncles, cousins, siblings. My grandmas house stuffed so tight the kids mostly sat on the floor, or perhaps the front porch because with so many people congregating it was overly warm.

November 24, 2016 I slip the Polamalu jersey over my shoulders, and head downstairs to help my step mom with the mashed potatoes. My father has a wonderful habit of gifting me jerseys of players right before they retire, but Polamalu will always be one of my favorite Steelers so I’m not mad about it.

“You’re gonna regret that. You just made the biggest mistake of your life” The man looked at the woman who had tears in her eyes and curled his mouth up at the sides in a smirk.

Chapter Four I turned and looked out through the glass door. I saw a dark figure standing there looking at me. I couldn’t see their face or tell if it was a guy or a girl. Whoever it was turned and walked away but my body still felt like it was vibrating and my eyes were burning. I must’ve gotten something in my eyes, so I headed towards the bathrooms. When I headed over to the sink and saw my face in the mirror. I shrieked and fell against the bathroom stall. My eyes were bright green, kinda looked like they were glowing. My body still was pulsing and my head started pounding.

Marcus was having a strange dream. It was swirly smokey colors fading in and out and in the background he could hear someone calling his name. He was having such a nice dream about his girlfriend that he didn’t want to wake up. Marcus was fighting waking up but the person calling his name was persistent.

Today, I want to share one of my favourite memories from my childhood with my Grandparents. And there is a lot of them. When I think of my Grandpa Kai (namesake for my son), this is the memory that comes to mind first before any other. I was very young, I honestly couldn’t even tell you how old I was, but I was definitely under 6 years old. I’ll try to paint you a picture of what it looked like, just to set the scene a bit.

I was seventeen years old when my grandfather passed away. When I was little, he was my superhero, so I followed him around where ever he went, I was not too far behind. I did not much care for the rest of my family, however, and spent a majority of my childhood arguing with them. When he passed away, I lost the foundation for everything I had. But I was not the only one. My grandmother suffered as a result of this too, having spent almost fifty years of her life by his side. It was a very dark time for my family.

Grandma, I know you’re hurting, and I wish I could take your pain away. I wish there was a way to get rid of all of it for you and for grandpa. I would take it all in a heartbeat. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the real you. It saddens me every day.

Christina, Christina where have you gone? I've gone to my heaven and I'm dancing along. I died in my sleep just like we all wish, although I was a bit young and never got to live at the beach. My life went well when I was on earth, my family, husband and good friends made it all the worth and I wish it didn't have to end. I needed a bit more time to do some more things, but I did get in a lot as short as its been.

When you fear something you gain appreciation over something else. It’s a given. If you fear death you appreciate life in some small way in the least. If you fear losing someone, you do everything you can to keep them because you start to appreciate some form of having them. Or if you don’t or can’t do everything you can to keep them you at least admire the small things about them, the things you are afraid to lose.

The very last door I opened was the bathroom, and what I had found once that door was opened, I couldn't believe. My mother was standing there with a small , short metal pipe in her hand and she had a lighter up to it. She was smoking something... I was around 15 years old and I had just walked in on my mother smoking crack/cocaine. The look on her face surprised me. It wasn't so much a look of guilt or shame. The expression on her face read was cool, calm, and relaxed. I can guarantee you that the look on my face was merely shock , disappointment, and humiliation. In that moment everything had changed . My whole life had turned upside down inside out, and my heart had been ripped from my chest. I was rendered speechless. the thoughts in my head were infinite. I thought about everything in that moment. I thought about the life we used to have, so happy and full of love. I thought about the future. What was going to happen to us, all of us, my sisters, my parents, all of the needs and wants of a typical, American family. How was this going to work. Is this a dream? Just basically, what is this going to do to my family, our family. After we had constant eye contact for around a minute or so, (which felt like a lifetime) , there was a small break in the silence when she had finally decided to let out a justifying plea. But I walked away unsure of what I was going to say. I don't think that I even got to the end of the hallway when she yelled "Malinda, come here". I dreaded every minute of that walk, down that long narrow hallway and into the bathroom. Once I had entered the room she told me to sit down on the toilet, and so I did. She initiated a conversation about what I had just seen. The thing is, this wasn't the conversation I was expecting. What happened next still haunts me to this day. She told me that I had walked in on her smoking crack. But also asked me if I wanted to try it myself. I looked at her in shock. All I was thinking is, this had to be a trick she just wants to see if I'm going to say yes and if I do, I'm going to get into a whole mess of trouble. So I replied "Mom are you serious? You are really asking me if I want to smoke drugs with you"? I didn't understand how this was just okay to her, like it was just another day nothing out of the ordinary . My stomach was in knots and my head was still racing, but I finally mustered up the words to ask why she was wanting me to do this with her, and if it would hurt me if I decided to go thru with it. Then with a chuckle in her voice she said" no its not going to hurt you". Then she continued to explain to me that she wanted me to do this with her for the firs time, so that if anything were to happen to me I would be right there with her. Not with some friends or random people. I was going to be safe her with her. Then she proceeded to admit that her and my dad had been doing this for a while . Ever since my step siblings were taken from my father. Mom told me that what had happened with my siblings had really taken a toll on Dad. She said he was up for hours every night, crying so hard that he couldn't sleep. He had lost the drive that he once had. She told me that the days were becoming unbearable for him, losing his other kids cut like a knife. So he had talked to a friend that knew what he was going thru, and could tell that he was hurting. This so-called friend had introduced my dad to crack/cocaine. The first time he used it started the beginning of my families demise, and loss of any and all hope for an extremely bright future that we all carried the potential of having. Now everything started to make since. This is why we never see them anymore. This is why dads never home and moms locking herself in her bedroom all day. This is the reason the vacations stopped and family time was a thing of the past. So what now? How long will this last? When will we have our parents back? What does the future hold? Is there any way that a 15 year old girl can come up with a solution to a problem this big? Will my family survive this nightmare?

Infidelity and adultery are an everyday occurrence in the modern-day world. From commoners to celebrities, you can continuously hear news about people being a victim of cheating. Even in the age where marriage is not only flexible but also disposable, people tend to succumb to temptation, and extramarital affairs are downright common.

From renowned scientists to respected college professors, every smart person on this planet had full support from their parents in early childhood. The exact form of this support varies from teaching them how to tell jokes to pay for piano lessons. If you wish your kid to grow up as a genius, here are 10 tips on how to help them excel in life.

As a parent, you are likely always concerned about the health and safety of your child. While there are some things that are out of your control, there are others that you can take charge of. These include how your family lives in your home and the things that you interact with. There are many things that make up a healthy person, and you can encourage your family to live a healthier, more wholesome lifestyle. Consider these tips for keeping your entire family healthy.

Chapter 1: The beginning It had been bittersweet leaving my family behind. We were about to go to America and not just to America but to New York. I had heard so many stories about America. It was the land of the free and the home of the brave. I could have the chance to become anyone I dreamed of becoming. As the taxi approached the airport the nervousness started to settle into my stomach as if I was about to throw up. I looked up at my mum. In my eyes she was the true definition of beauty and brains. Long curly hair that perfectly shaped her beautiful milk chocolate skin, slim body that definitely had snapped back after she had birthed me. She had this exotic look to her as if she was mixed with all types of ethnicity.My mother was not affectionate at all. I never understood why but in my eyes she was a Queen. A Queen that unfortunately didn’t know her worth. Instead of voicing my nervousness, I continued to look out the window of the taxi and didn’t even realize the taxi had came to a halt. We were going to America so my mother could be with her boyfriend. It was a drastic and very hard decision for her. For her to pack us up from all we have know our lives and follow a man she deep down inside new didn’t even deserve her on her worst day.As we walked through the airport, fear started to dawn on me. What if he kicks us out? What if he beat her like he did so many times before? I started to panic.” This was not a good idea” I thought frantically. “Mom, do we really have to move to America. What about Ma and Pa and all our family” I exclaimed. My eyes started to brim over with tears. My eyesight started to get so blurry.I didn’t even notice the huge suitcase they just put on top of my Porcelain doll, that my mother had just placed on the conveyor belt. I looked at my mum’s face as she told be to “be quiet and to hurry up”. I could see she was bothered but i guess the love she had for her boyfriend, gave her the motivation she needed to walk through the last metal dector. As we gathered our personal belongings, I noticed my porcelain doll coming through. I loved Sarah so much. My mom had bought her and had her painted to look just like me. As I picked her up and went to hug her, I noticed a huge crack from the top of her hair to her left ear. “Mom they broke Sarah!” I screamed. At this age, to me Sarah was pretty much dead. Her face was mutilated by the stupid security who threw a suitcase on her face. My mother looked at me and told me blankly to put her in the trash next to the x-ray machine.”But Mum!” I cried. “You can’t take that broken glass on the plane” she replied. I looked at her in disbelief. I slowly put Sarah in the trash as tears overflowed on my face. “ Sorry little girl” said a big heavy set bald security officer as he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. I looked at him through my tears and said “ok” almost so quiet that if the words hadn’t came out of my mouth, I wouldn’t even of heard it. We walked briskly to the plane as I cried over the pain of losing my favorite toy ever. “Sit”, my mum said abruptly as she interrupted my memories of when I first received Sarah. I sat down in the middle seat and looked out the window at the Tarmac. The plane started to slowly take off. As we climbed higher and higher into the sky. I looked down at my home, my country.I prayed for a safe arrival and that maybe just maybe my mum could find me another Sarah. Little did I know the beginning of the my life’s destruction was but only 22 hours away.

When I met their dad while we both were in college back in 1997, my heart was filled with hope, thankfulness and lofty dreams and goals for a picture perfect marriage to a man I had come to eventually love very deeply. All of those dreams were infinitely shattered chasing better jobs, better pay, a better life for those three and I will tell you how if you just keep reading.

When the phone rang at 9:30, I grabbed the phone thinking it late for a call but didn’t panic until the name appeared, my dad’s caretaker/girlfriend. My stomach gurgled, creating a shallow craving, not from hunger but for information of what had occurred.

I’m thankful for my son. For his giggles, his creativity, and his random hugs. I’m thankful for having his unconditional love.

It is that time of year for the united states, the thanksgiving wreaths are brought from the attic, the smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven, the parades are starting to come together, and lastly, the family would usually gather around and share a turkey. However, this year's thanksgiving looks a little bit different. Hopefully, people will be smart about spending thanksgiving together. Anyways, with thanksgiving around the corner, it got me thinking about what I am thankful for. 2020 has been a struggle for all of us, some of us lost jobs, some lost the opportunity to travel. For others, 2020 was a challenge. A lot of us encountered challenges, which we have never faced before due to the pandemic. Despite the challenges and hardships I still have something to be thankful for. I am thankful for my family, I know this sounds like a cliché but it is true. Together we have been through a lot, we traveled together to many places. We took a road trip to California, we visited museums and explored beaches and new cities. One of my favorite pictures that I kept with me all this time is one, where I am with my sisters, they are both in colorful bathing suits and there's me wearing a pink tee-shirt that read California and there were palm trees printed on it and I am wearing red shorts. I don't remember why I did not have my swimsuit, but for some reason, I did not bring it with me to the beach. Even though it was clear we were having a beach day. We all have a smile on our faces and we are playing in the waves. It is my favorite memory of my family, my dad was taking pictures of us, my mom was watching us from the sidelines, but smiling at us as she suntanned. We would rush to the sand from the water and eat salty chips. We traveled to Europe together and for the first time in my life, I saw amazing cathedrals and salt mines. We went to Hawaii together before my oldest sister got married. Aside from the great trips, we took together my family was always there for me.

The sun from my partially open venetian blinds woke me, a single band of light falling across my eyes. I propped myself up on an elbow and looked at my alarm clock. 9:35am. I stared sleepily at the numbers, until jarring anxiety made me throw off my covers and jump out of bed. School. I was late for school! Why didn’t my dad wake me up?! The bus came at 7:30 every morning, I had missed almost two periods of class by now.

For part 1 and part 2. A little more about dad At 28, my father broke his back while hunting. He and a friend were on horseback riding up a small steep draw in the hills near our home. The friend’s horse stopped when he reached the top of the hill and my father’s horse, who was behind the friend’s horse, lost balance on the steep incline and rolled over backward on top of my dad as they both rolled down the hill, breaking his back. He told me that the only thing that went through his head while rolling down the hill was to protect the new rifle he had just bought.

Let me tell you a situation that happened between me and my ex in the summer past. So, I was going to collect my littlest children from their father, to take them out for the day at my family's yearly garden bbq at my Auntie's house. Always in a state of panic to get there on time, and have everything set in order to run smoothly, I pull up at his and message for him to bring the children down. Happily they come down and we set them in all ready. I do a quick "Have we got everything?" check. Realising that Arya didn't have her Ipad, I asked my ex if he could go get it for me. He accepts and goes up to collect it.

Greetings once again. This article will focus on some of my daughter's favourite books, and some of the ones that i enjoy reading to her.

Growing up as a kid my sisters where hell. I was hell. In this story they are numbered by age. I'm the fourth sister being the youngest.

Chapter 3: Winsley is Jealous It had been a week since they reunited Winsley with his mother. Mostly they were alone in the room. They would bring food and have their water bowls refilled. Humans had done this every few hours, often in the middle of the night.

There are three of us. THREE. And speaking of 3s I was 33 the year I met my SISTERS for the very first time. This was our first picture taken together. EVER. They are 12 & 15 years older than me, we share the same father , or sperm donor as I like to call him. He was married to Ginna ( my sisters mother) and while pregnant with Ashley the middle sister, my “ father” left a note for Ginna that had Heather age 2 and Ashley in her belly at just 4 months, he said “ he couldn’t handle it” and left. Walked out never looked back. Fast forward some years he meets Tricia, MY MOM, and they marry have me and lo & behold the crackpot does it again! Except this time my mom kicked him out , after letting him come back a few times, she had ENOUGH. Filled for sole custody he of course never contested and that WAS THAT. I always knew I had “ sisters” not just step but actual BLOOD siblings... but I grew up an only child and I never had any kind of relationship with my sisters or my father ... up until March 2020. My father reached out to the three of us, said he had written a book and it was dedicated to “ his girls” convenient we were his girls when he needed to sound like a nice caring man son people would read his literal CRAP book, none the less it went to ALL THREE OF US. And I am the firmest believer that “ everything happens for a reason” cool story about that for another time. Never the less... they both reached out to me, through social media, told me they wanted to know their “ sister” they wanted me to know my NIECES AND NEPHEWS... they loved me . Talk V about throwing someone for a loop... I went from being an only child with no siblings or any nieces or nephews to overnight having two sisters. A brother in law, and FIVE nieces and nephews. There were EIGHT people, eight family members, who knew about me and WANTED to know me! Be a part of my life.