Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
The Thanksgiving Rock Throwing Incident
Okay, let me state first that the following story was quite true so I changed some names around. Though I have to admit I'm better remembering details than names, so I should be covered. This was Thanksgiving 2001. It ended up being the last one I'd spend at my grandmother's house, as she would pass on that next April. As usual, there was a lot of family present.
By Benjamin Alexander House7 years ago in Families
The Wind Chimes
My mother was quite possibly the most eccentric woman you would ever meet. She had long, curly hair, the same color as the warm orange leaves during fall. She was a short woman, but she had the confidence of someone ten feet tall. When someone looked into her deep emerald eyes, they would immediately feel accepted and loved. She was feisty, and would be the first one to tell you where the door was should you have chosen to say some unwise words in her presence.
By Danielle Hintz7 years ago in Families
In The End
As I opened the door to your house the smell inside hit me, forcing me to wrinkle my nose. What was once a welcoming scent of tobacco, coffee, and after shave had turned into sickness and the sweet sickly smell of death. We walked into see you struggle to get up and you quickly had to sit back down. You could barely stand, let alone walk up to greet us. We both tried hugging you but you said it hurt so I didn't touch you. I know you didn't want to go to the hospital with us...but Nanny made you.
By Bethany Winters7 years ago in Families
How Do I Get My Child Into Reading?
How Do I Get My Child Into Reading? The recent changes to GCSE English Language and Literature require a very high level of reading ability. Not only is it important to be able to read very lengthy and detailed passages but they also demand a wide vocabulary and an ability to write creatively. This underlines, more than ever, the importance of reading. To put it simply, you cannot expect to answer comprehensions or write your own creative writing pieces if you do not have experience of reading a wide variety of texts. If you want to achieve the higher grades, then reading is the key to unlock potential in creative writing and language analysis.
By Elisabeth Basford7 years ago in Families
My Son
I was six weeks when I found out that I was pregnant. Unfortunately, I struggled so much to get seen by an OB doctor because I couldn’t get medical for some unknown reason. Time goes on and I’m already 4 months with no ultrasound until I can finally get myself into a clinic where they were patient and understanding enough to take me in for prenatal care until I got my medical situated.
By Elissa Gallegos7 years ago in Families
Why I Stopped Talking to My Family
I always thought that I would be part of my family. I pictured going to my father's home and bringing my children over to visit with their grandfather. I pictured holidays together and spending time with my siblings and sharing memories. I always knew that my family was not very healthy. There was plenty of dysfunction to go around, and as the oldest child I was able to witness most of it. I thought for the most part that my family maybe didn't exactly like me, but they loved me. I was completely wrong. It took me many many years to realize that I was the scapegoat in my family and that the role would follow me forever. I was always blamed for things that didn't even have anything to do with me. I was punished more severely, made to feel not good enough always, and I was never praised or recognized for any accomplishment I achieved. I made every effort to make my parents and siblings see I was a good person and I deserved their love. I was always given a taste of love but never the full meal. I was always used for any money I brought in from any job I had. I was made to take care of my younger siblings and take care of my mother. I took care of the household and did everything I could to show my family how much I loved them. Sure, I was not perfect but I didn't deserve the harsh realities of being the scapegoat. When I started researching narcissistic families my whole life became so crystal clear. I finally understood that I was not the problem and that I was worthy of love. I knew that I needed to be a bit more cautious of my family. I never thought that the bitterness they held for me was so great that they would decided to try and ruin my life. It came as a complete and total shock. I must explain some back story to you before I go any further. I was so very saddened by how my family acted towards me and as a young teen I didn't understand. I dabbled in some drug use and ended up in a very harmful and abusive relationship. I managed to get my life together when I became pregnant with my daughter. I was so happy to have her that I wanted and would always vow to be the best mother to her. I had a hard time still with depression and I went to therapy. I was blessed with 2 more beautiful children; my boys a few years later. I love and treasure my kids. My kids are what I live for, and I strive and work very hard for them to have the best possible childhood they can have. I have been what I would consider a mother I wished I would have had. I never want my kids to feel how I did. I am happy and love life. Well, my family couldn't stand to see me happy with a man I love and my kids. They needed to put me down as they had done all the years prior. I was not allowed to feel happiness. How dare I? My sick family knew that my weakness and fear was not being with my children. They plotted and in such a sick way used abuse by proxy to involve my aunt in a false allegation smear campaign against me. They tried to put absurd false allegations against me with founded no proof. I was amazed at how sick they could be. The hurt and betrayal made me sick for days. I was never so angry at the pain they tried to cause me. I knew then that these people did not at all have my best interest at heart. I knew they wanted to see me fail and be so unhappy. I knew I could never look them in the face after what they did to try and ruin me. I know that it may not seem like such a big betrayal to some, but you have to understand how sneaky and deceiving this was and how completely unjustified this was. It came from nowhere and to this day I can't get over why they would do such a cruel thing. I of course tried to defend my honor while they tried to somehow make me look crazy. I knew I had to stop feeding into the craziness they created and the drama they lived for. I never wanted to be a part of that family ever again. I did not receive anything good from a relationship with them. I knew I would never be able to trust them and I knew how toxic it would be to have my babies around them. I had to go 'no contact' with them and I had to do it now. My family is my world, I would be damned if they would try and take that from me. I needed to see how evil they were, how much they did not care about me or my kids. It was finally the push I needed to stop the abuse. I have officially been no contact with the family for almost 3 months now and it still is hard sometimes. I sit and hope to see them realize they were wrong and come apologizing to me. But that is just a fantasy and I realize that is never going to be. I wouldn't let them back into my life now. I have grown so much stronger and learned so much about myself during this time. I am not going to lie. Sometimes I feel all alone. I feel a feeling of homesickness, like I don't have a family. I feel orphaned. But then I realize that I am so blessed to see them for what they are and stop the abuse. I am blessed to have found my own way and have my family. I will never understand the cruel ways of my narcissistic family but I will know that they will go to no length to try and hurt you. Education against individuals who have narcissism is the best weapon that you can hold against them. You learn the tactics they use to bring you down and you can then see who is not for you and toxic. I hope that by sharing just this one instance of the abuse I suffered, will help someone who is going through a similar experience. You have the strength to remove yourself from your family if they are doing things to hurt you. No one deserves to be put down and treated in such an abusive way. You owe your family nothing and when you walk away you begin to heal and it is so peaceful to know that it wasn't you that was the problem, instead it was them..
By Ash astrid7 years ago in Families
The Day We Were Evacuated From Our Hotel
Here we were, in the hospital, my aunt and I watching my grandfather’s nurse press into his groin in order to clot the blood to ensure that he doesn’t bleed out (he had had surgery five hours prior). She was causing him some pain, not intentionally but seeing my grandfather in such pain was agonizing for me so my aunt told me to go take a walk (perhaps so he wouldn’t see that I was on the verge of crying because he was hurting). So I got up and walked away.
By Anik Marchand7 years ago in Families
A First Time for Everything
He was big, burly and heavy on his feet, like an iron shield guarding our family. The strongest person I know, he towers over most. Being brawly and intimidating to people who don’t know him, he has a stern frown and a soft smile, a deep farmer's tan from the hours he spends cutting wood and doing yard work but meticulously ironed grey suit pants and straight Brooks Brothers dress shirts and jackets. He has hammers and nails, saws and screwdrivers, wrenches, and hatchets, but works with people and computers. He casually coaches us from lacrosse to hockey and all in between, but methodically constructs cultured sentences presented to important people every day. He helps with seventh grade math, but works with pie charts and statistics that are puzzling to others. His presence brings safety and protection like having a military squad protecting your family.
By Clare Woodford7 years ago in Families
The Sh*t They Don't Tell You: Lesson #5
Losing Your Shit. You're standing there, telling yourself that if you hear "Mommy!" one more time today, you're going to explode. You're crying on the bathroom toilet with a Snickers bar hanging halfway out of your mouth, knowing that if you hear one more request to watch that damned Paw Patrol episode, you're going to have yourself a conniption. You're rushing everybody out the door only to find your three-year-old standing in the room butt naked (but at least she has shoes on!) and YOU LOSE YOUR SHIT.
By Tiffany Wade7 years ago in Families