Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
The Struggle With 2020
Living in 2020 with mental illnesses. Talk about a wild ride. I'm a 30 year old female living with her fiancé and soon to be step daughter (every other weekend and when circumstances deem it necessary.) Many days I feel like I'm the only responsible adult in the whole dynamic. A viscous thought that I frequently feel guilty for. Other days I feel as though I'm failing more than everyone else around me. Mental illness can confuse you like that. Between financial difficulties, work troubles, and co-parenting squabbles I feel as though my brain is trying to work overtime without any fuel for even its normal work. My body doesn't seem to be doing much better than my brain either. My day to day battle just to feel like I'm surviving in the current climate seems more like a lose lose battle inside my own mind.
By SirenSavage6 years ago in Families
Holiday Without You
The tree is up, the fire is lit, the stockings are hung and if it were a picture, it would be the epitome of what a perfect Christmas should be. The holidays are a time of joy, love and laughter. A time where memories are created and traditions are born. Echos of the past that once brought smiles now bring silent tears. On the outside, all seems merry and bright, but when a loved one is missing on the holidays, pain and sorrow are all that's on the inside. How do you celebrate joy when someone you love is unable to celebrate too? And in the most permanent sense, they will never celebrate anything with you ever again. Before you get angry at me, and say “there is joy in heaven” or accuse me of being an atheist, I would like to say that I am a very Christian woman with a strong belief in life after death. God very much comes first in my life, but when grief takes over it is hard to feel anything else. It is hard to even be yourself. In the midst of your sorrow, life keeps charging on. You have no choice but to charge forward too. Putting on a smile when inside you are crying. Everyday you are going through the motions and just trying to get by from one day to the next, and with your best efforts facings all those “firsts” without them. You learn to master the art of looking OK and opening up just enough that no one questions what you are not telling. You learn to navigate with the pain hidden allowing just enough out to not look suspicious so that you can convince the world that you are healing. Heck, if you lie well enough you even began to convince yourself. And then, the holidays come. You feel lost, every decoration has a memory attached, every recipe, every song on the radio and every holiday movie. Suddenly, you are back at square one.
By Michelle Paiva6 years ago in Families
The christmas day horror
The following story is based on true events. Its a memory of a Christmas that I wont soon forget. It was a cold Christmas eve. I was about 9 or 10. My grandmother used to have family get togethers on Christmas eve every year. My mom and dad were divorced for almost my whole life, so I usually spent one or the other with my dad for the holiday. This year was Christmas eve. He was staying at my grandmother's at the time, Granny we all called her, after granny from the Beverly Hillbillies. There was a good crowd this year. Granny, Dad, me, my great grandmother, and some cousins. Granny had a finished basement with a bar and a pool table, so this is the area that the Christmas parties and just about any other function she would have would be held.
By Brad Souza6 years ago in Families
Post # 1 - A blast from the past brought back by a complete stranger from Germany all the way to California
I woke up this morning, just like every other morning, and checked messages on my phone; however, this morning I came across an article posted by a friend on Facebook. It was a story about the neighborhood where I grew up roughly 50 years ago, which is located over 5,500 miles away from where I am right at this very second...
By The Venus Quest6 years ago in Families
The Magic of Holiday Card Outtakes
Ahhh, Christmas card photos… the one picture you take that either serves as a highlight for the year, or a window into the chaos of real life. As 2020’s holiday season hits its peak, I realized I didn’t do a Christmas photo to commemorate this year. Maybe I’ll snap a few cute pictures of my dog and surly teens on the holiday to post on social media, but I didn’t even think of a Christmas photo this year. Who wants to commemorate this period of time that feels like the last semester of clown college?
By Jennifer Gulbrandsen6 years ago in Families
The Bad and the Good
We’ve done this before, why would this one be any different? It was June in 1998 and Dad was all set to retire. Along with retiring, Mom and Dad had picked out a home for them to spend the rest of their lives at. Moving day was always exciting, Dad being a minister had moved a few times and this one was no different. Except this time, none of us kids were moving with them. We all had our own places but was there to help them. Mom was having some medical issues and was able to make an appointment on moving day. Dad took her to her appointment while the rest of us supervised the moving company. This was hard work, which was filled with drinking coffee, eating donuts and sharing stories with the family.
By Al Russell6 years ago in Families
Compassion of a Two Year Old
In this ever growing world we do not see a lot of compassion towards one another. When we do, it is rare and a shame we do not see it often. It takes parents, and grandparents, even aunts and uncles to help young children learn to value another. At some point we all lose sight of it.
By Phoenix H.L. C. Hunt6 years ago in Families
An Ode to Christmas Past.. Top Story - December 2020.
T'was several days ago, when all through my house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse - that was, until the Vocal Team messaged me about writing this story. A story celebrating all the beautiful, little details of my usual Christmas, which every year amalgamate into something innately special and personal. (Well, every year before this one.)
By Paul Heder6 years ago in Families
