Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
The Little Black Book Of Blessings
He squinted his eyes in an attempt to figure out what the black object in front of him was. When the frantic looking man went tearing down the sidewalk, crashed into Mark, and kept running, something fell out of his pocket. If Mark’s glasses hadn’t been knocked clear off his face he’d already have been able to identify the object in front of him. As it is, he was fumbling around feeling for them and hoping they weren’t broken.
By Julie Wein6 years ago in Families
Francesca Foote
When I awake in the morning, sometime around 5 a.m., I rub my feet before leaving bed. They hasten even slower than I do these days, so I must soothe them, like newborn puppies, before I slip them into my house shoes. I massage each toe, curled with arthritis. They aren’t what they used to be, but I still keep up with them. My niece and I get pedicures every other Saturday.
By Amanda Woodard6 years ago in Families
Mary
Everyone leaves us with something. Sometimes they bequeath us a house, or family photos. Perhaps we are given a watch, or willed a piece of heirloom jewelry. The most valuable gems are usually the memories. Those priceless tidbits that can't be held in the hands, but only in the heart. They are the pieces of our life, the chapters of our story. They are both happy and sad, full of fear, and love. If we meant something to someone during their lifetime, after they pass from this world they want us to have something of them. It might be because they loved us, it may be out of a feeling of obligation, or maybe, they just don't want to be forgotten.
By Elizabeth Livecchi6 years ago in Families
Mom’s Last Page
She sat across from me in that room and we waited. We both knew each other better than to fill the silence with conversation. I felt slightly nauseous at what news would soon be delivered by, I assume, a well-bred doctor that gave this news to many families over the years. I was right. His kind eyes and straightforwardness were appreciated and seemed well practiced, which saddened me even further. My mom sat stoic and absorbed the words I knew she was expecting. After he left, we both looked at each other and understood there would be nothing more done here. No rounds of this or transfusions of that. She was done. She had been done years ago when my father passed. She had told me this numerous times since she we moved in together some 3 years back. What prompted all of this, was that my mom had begun to turn a kind of yellow color a few months back. She was becoming more and more tired, putting her head on the table after dinner to be woken up by me encouraging her to get to bed a half an hour later. She had MS since I was in 8th grade, making her around 40 then. She was 76 when she passed, it had nothing to do with her MS. Within a week of turning a sickly yellow, she was scanned and a biopsy concluded she had bile duct cancer. Who knew that was really a thing? I knew about pancreatic cancer and how that had a terrible end so I imagined this would be very similar. It was.
By Molly Pastori 6 years ago in Families
The Wish-Granter
The wish-granter has a thankless job. It wouldn't seem so, not at first; people wish for things they truly want, or things they at least think they truly want. It would make sense, then, that someone who gets something they want badly enough to wish for it—to beg a nameless, faceless entity in the sky for this one thing—that they'd be falling over themselves to give thanks when they suddenly found themselves with that thing.
By Kari Woodrow6 years ago in Families
WinningIsLosing
My ledger, which happens to be a little black book, is dedicated to keeping track of money given to foster children. These kids are my kids and I need to find a way to help them through life, as any good parent would. It's not easy since there are so many of them, 300,000-500,000 a year, I've narrowed it down to the 40,000-60,000 that age out of the system being the ones at the most risk. These kids are the ones that don't get adopted, for whatever reason, and at eighteen are kicked out of the system. They may or may not have the support they need after leaving their last foster home and that's where I come in. Sometimes these kids don't even have ID and have no idea how to go about getting one. This too I can help them with.
By Vonia Martin6 years ago in Families
Living Legacy
Turgid. The first time I can remember ever hearing this word, it was uttered by my father. Our family was on a river boat cruise on the Ohio River, and, as he peered studiously over the side, he declared that the water was particularly turgid that day.
By Ken Fendley6 years ago in Families
A Mother's Thoughts
As a 29 year old female, in my mediocre life, the struggles I go through on a daily basis are a living nightmare. I’m not just talking about normal life stresses such as money, work or even if I am parenting my four children right. The struggles I speak of, are that of my relationship whereas I dream about going back home, to when I was an innocent, doe eyed, 7 year old little tom boy. I dream of when life was simple, where I only worried about finishing building the treefort in which I fell through the unstable floor my brother and I built. Dreaming about my horse crashing through the fence and running to the neighbors to where the grass was literally greener for him on the other side. Time for me to snap back to reality, Time to brace myself for what’s to come.
By Serena de Delley6 years ago in Families
The Old Farmhouse
Josie looks to her Mother with a long expression on her face. " Mom why did we have to move from Ladoga? All my friends are there." Josie's Mom just looked straight out the front of the van as she drove. She took a deep breath in and out and replied " Well me and your Daddy didn't have any life insurance and after he died it took almost all our savings to bury him. We just didn't have enough money left to live in our house anymore. I was able to find another house to live in with what we had left. It wasn't easy for me to make this decision, I so wish we could have stayed in our home. I just can't afford it on my own. Just wait we will be happy in no time here, Think of it as a new adventure for all of us." Josie looked out her window as her Mom pulled on a gravel drive at the end of it she saw an old farm house with no paint and looks like it needed a lot of work. All Josie knew she felt homesick.
By Amy Martin6 years ago in Families
What Makes Smethport, PA Great
Hamlin Lake Smethport, Pennsylvania My 1997 Graduation Picture From Smethport Jr. Sr. High School Smethport, PA What can I say about Smethport, Pennsylvania? Well, its a very small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania near Erie, PA and Bradford, Pa and 2 hours south of Buffalo, NY. I was raised in this beautiful quaint town in a farming community part called Farmers Valley, PA as my paternal great grandparents, my paternal grandparents, my paternal uncle and aunt and my parents all lived there since the early 1900's and my father and my uncle and my cousin still live right beside each other. My maternal grandparents lived in the town of Smethport. I was raised there with my 4 siblings Heather, Kathleen, Colleen and Thomas Jr. and my parents Thomas Sr. and Noressa (my mother passed away in 2018) my father was a supervisor for the local gas company and my mother was a secretary for the local refinery (the refinery was first oil company, then made a piece for thermostats and now International Waxes which makes the wax for a popular candle company). My siblings and I attended Farmers Valley Elementary School in Farmers Valley until I was in 3rd grade and the new Smethport Elementary school was established in 1988 if my memory serves me correctly and my whole family and my paternal grandfather a janitor (in the 1970's) at Smethport Area Jr. Sr. High School, we were known as the Smethport Hubbers, as we were the wheel hub (hence HUBbers) of the region and other towns were the spokes of the wheel of the region. Our town of Smethport is very proud of are athletic sports and the athletes of SAHS and my family was in sports from the 1950's to 2005 and I, myself, was in Girls Golf, Weightlifting Club and Track n Field (field events) this town though is most proud of the Smethport High School Football Team. Whats around our little town? Our courthouse (pictured) was first established in 1807, however, it burnt down 3 times the current courthouse has been there since 1942 and has luckily has not burned down. There was a famous case in the 1800's about Ralph Crossmire that is now making this Pennsylvania's 6th most haunted place at the old Smethport Jail which was behind this courthouse, he had killed his parents, got tried but before sentencing he hung himself in the jail and promised to haunt the old jail forever, its now a museum with ghost tours. The other famous place of Smethport is the former Christmas Store (now a different business) but it was so loved by the community it had the best Christmas items! We have a lake? Yes, it is called Hamlin Lake! It's the beauty that makes Smethport! (pictured) My maternal grandparents had their house near the lake and it was great going to the park and have picnics! There are also, so many great churches in the community and they are so helpful to the community! There is sparcity to job availability unless you travel to your job for 30 minutes or more and most people do travel for their jobs. But that's the least of the spectacle of Smethport, they have the best restaurants, especially what is called The Tasty Freeze which has been there since the 50's and still loved for its hoagies, french fries, sundaes and milkshakes, its been a staple for people living there and traveling through. One last thing that's great is we have the McKean County Fair and its the most joyous time and great activities to see and participate in especially the Monster Truck Show, Racing and Amusement Rides and our great farming animals! I best not forget to mention and pay homage t0 Smethport's Wolly Willy!! This is what makes Smethport, PA so great to travel to or live in and I now live in Grand Island, NY but I really miss my hometown and the great things about it, especially the people who live there, its like a hometown family!
By Danielle K. Murphy6 years ago in Families
