Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Losing Sight
My mom wasn’t around much when I was a little girl because she was always working. She picked me up from school, dropped me off at home, and went to work until 2 AM. Because of this, I spent most of my time with my father, and we had a great time. He didn’t cook much so dinners usually consisted of frozen food that was easy to heat up and we never complained. I have very vague memories of play-wrestling with him in our living room and asking him about his collection of Tonka trucks. More prominent memories of my father revolve around one thing: his temper. Nonetheless, I was very close to my father as a child.
By Melina Smith7 years ago in Families
Being a Child Carer
All over the world, there are kids who have taken on the responsibility of looking after their ill parents. There are even some children looking after their siblings. Making sure they eat, bathe, and go to school. Some people think it's crazy, others understand, and some people think it shouldn't be allowed. However this isn't a post about whether it is right or wrong. This is just about my experience as a child carer and its effects.
By Denilia Blue7 years ago in Families
What Is Family
What is family to you? To me it isn't always the people of your blood. I grew up believing the man raising me was my father until I was 11yrs old. A girl who was supposed to be my friend got mad and told me she heard our moms talking. Honestly it didn't matter to me that he wasn't my biological dad, because he was my daddy. He had raised me. After my oldest was born he moved to Florida and vanished. A family friend hired someone and had him found after my youngest sister died in a car crash. He came home shortly after that. I won’t lie, I was angry at that point, he left all of us and my youngest sister didn't even see him. I felt like he had betrayed us, betrayed me. But I finally talked with him and told him all this, and he told me why he vanished. Years ago he found out he had lung cancer. He fought a long time, even made it to remission, but when it came back years later it was too much. He didn't have the strength to do chemo or radiation again. My children meet him for the first time then. We made peace and when he became ill the second time and decided no more treatment I was OK with that. I rushed my children to meet their grandfather, and he them. For the first time in forever (we were little kids) our dad had all of his daughters (cause that is all he had) in one room together. It was also the first time my sisters had meet all 4 of my children together. It was a very sad time but also bitter-sweet. My daddy lived a few months more and during that time I spoke to him every day and my sister Crystal stayed with him every day. When it came to the point he couldn't talk any longer, or he was sleeping all the time, Crystal or the nurses would hold the phone to his ear just so I could say I love you daddy and thank you for being my dad. Crystal was the only one with him when he passed she took his last breath into herself.
By Theresa Harrington7 years ago in Families
The Story of Me and Mine
Hello. My name is Chloe Burke. I am 19 years old and a mother of two. My name is nothing more then a name to other people. My whole life I grew up with people not exactly knowing who I was or where I came from or what my purpose was. Well here's my purpose. When I was nine months old I was put up for adoption in the state of Nevada in Las Vegas after my biological father had tried to kill me by hitting me over the head with a hammer. I was hospitalized at Sunrise children's hospital for about a month. My case worker was Nancy Burke. Married to Steven Burke. She spent almost every day with me, getting to know me, falling in love with me, of coarse this is what she has told me because I was too young to remember anything at that age. Later on through the months my case worker soon turned into who I call my adopted mother. I was put under their care as foster parents and three years later was officially adopted into their family. Little did I know that my life was about to turn in to a living hell. My father was a very religious man a man who believed that everything happens for a reason and that everyone of his children should be baptized into his church. My dad is LDS. My mother on the other hand wasn't very involved with God or really any spiritual being of that matter. She believed that whatever happens happens and that was that. At the age of five I was introduced to the Mormon church and out into what they call primary sunbeams.
By chloe burke7 years ago in Families
The Nobody Among You: The Holidays
It's that time of the year again; that time where decorations are put up, holiday shopping is done early, and holiday tunes are played all through every station that we know of. It's a time to remember that life is precious, family is important, and that nothing should ever be taken for granted.
By Shyra Rodgers7 years ago in Families
A Culture Like No Other
Amazing food, strong families, and having a great fear of a chancla wielding mother when you did something wrong. Latino culture is one unlike any other; the music, the language, and the people are so unique and vibrant it's no wonder that "Despacito" got so popular. Now for those who do not know much about Latino culture, let me tell you there's way more to it than telenovelas, tacos, and Daddy Yankee. When you are referring to someone of Latin descent, you are referring to someone who was born or comes from parents born in Central America or South America, also including the Carribean islands like Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
By Lauren Gonzalez7 years ago in Families
A Mom's Christmas Fantasies Vs. Christmas Realities
Ahhhh, the magical feeling of the holidays. A time where all you want to do is snuggle up with your loved ones under your perfect Christmas tree and count down the days till Christmas morning. Also, in this fantasy I am wearing a gorgeous Christmas sweater, size 6 jeans, and have two children who hug and love each other and say things like "please" and "thank you." Not to mention my tree is freshly cut from the forest looking more like a Pottery Barn ad than an artificial Home Depot pine decorated with glued macaroni and picture-less frame ornaments. I like to call these visions my “Santa pipe dreams.”
By Jus L'amore7 years ago in Families
Multiple Kid Mayhem
Ever have one of those moments where you are crying and laughing at the same time over something horrific and yet super funny? My husband had one of those moments on this particular day when he heard me frantically yelling for him. When he came running out to my calls for help, what he saw, he thought, was the funniest thing ever! I had been sharing cuddles with our two youngest daughters on my lap in my easy chair. When he entered the room, he found me frozen with disgust. One of our daughters had been coughing rather violently. She coughed so hard she threw-up all over herself, it also went down her sisters back, and into the V-neck of my shirt and onto my cleavage! Our son, only two years old at the time, must have seen I couldn't get up and took the opportunity to get completely undressed, tear off his diaper and run around the living room swinging it over his head. Now before you ask...yes...it was poopy. Our two youngest children are twins. They work together with their sister, who is only a year older, to do stuff like this. They are like a crew of professionals in a heist. One distracts while the other goes to do something, and you don't even realize the third one has your keys! But today was just jumping on an opportunity. There was a time (like a year ago) when I would have chuckled, too! 🙂
By Kat Archer7 years ago in Families
Clay Born
The Saturday farmers market in Little Italy lines six or seven blocks intersecting India Street with fruit and vegetable stalls, fresh fish and flowers, burritos and tamales, flavored salts, garlic presses and shimmering kitchen knife displays. It is a trajectory from the old world crossing into the new. It is here that I find myself wandering up and down the pedestrian road hunting supplies for tonight’s evening meal.
By Igor Goldkind7 years ago in Families
Being Thankful for Family
With the holidays coming up, a lot of us are thinking about family. We're either thinking about how much we're dreading spending so much fucking time together, or trying to remember how thankful we are to just have them, or maybe we're thinking about the family we used to have and wishing with everything that even for this one little holiday, we had that back. In whatever form, most of us are thinking about family. With Thanksgiving coming up, we are reminded to be thankful for what we have and who we have.
By Michelle Schultz7 years ago in Families