Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Nursing
It took me a little over 15 weeks to come to grips with the fact that my mother was right..."We just aren't cows." I was determined though. Determined to prove her wrong, determined to not let the family statistics define me, determined to try every last hack or home remedy. The pain I suffered, the crazy nights of "he just finished eating", the helpless looks from my fiancé...it all wasn't for nothing. It was for the first 15 weeks of my son's life.
By Bryt Domine8 years ago in Families
Knowing You're Losing Someone
I burst into tears every time I hear the song "Supermarket Flowers" by Ed Sheeran. It hits me deep. I lost my mom to cancer, but I don't think that's why it hits me so hard. I was only three when she passed away; I didn't understand what was going on. Don't get me wrong, I miss my mom, but I don't really remember her being sick. But, since then, I've lost a lot of people very close to me. We've all had to experience losing someone, and if you haven't, I consider you very lucky. My friends and family told me during a particularly rough few months after a close family friend was diagnosed with cancer that I should be grateful that I knew what was coming and that I had time to mentally prepare myself for it. However, I honestly don't think there is any way to prepare yourself to lose someone that's close to you. In my personal experience, the knowing almost made it worse.
By Michelle Schultz8 years ago in Families
Dealing with a Toddler
If you’ve ever had to take care of a toddler, you know it can have its ups and it’s multiple downs. It’s ups mostly consisting of just the fact that it is your precious child and the occasional “I love you’s” and “you’re my best friend, mommy” moments. But the downs can be, to say the least, frustrating.
By Jessica Hong8 years ago in Families
A Grandson’s Tribute
Alma Katherine Hagan was born February 24, 1925 near Strode, Kentucky, the daughter of Erie and Nora Page Hagan. Along with her parents, brothers, sisters and Grandpa Brock Page, the rickety little house a short distance from old Rockbridge School swelled with life on the brink of the Great Depression. They worked hard raising gardens and a family on a tobacco income, moving several times before making a home on the George Carter farm in the curve on highway 1049. Grandma was the seventh of ten children—Neva, Clifton, Glaydell, Odell, Dale, Ruby, Katherine, Sarah, Chloe Eagle and James Wendall—with several not living until adulthood. With the exception of Chloe Eagle, Katherine survived them all. One of her earliest memories was hearing James Wendall crying. He did not live more than a few months.
By Drew Lindsey8 years ago in Families
Signs You Have a Narcissistic Mother
Narcissistic personality disorder affects many people, and often leads to emotional abuse, especially when narcissists get married or have children. Narcissistic parents take advantage of their authoritative position to control their children in unhealthy ways. If you have a troubled or tenuous relationship with your mother, think about your experiences together as you read this article. If you notice a lot of similarities, it may mean you were raised by narcissists.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick8 years ago in Families
Seventy
Written About My Papa As August 2014 winds to a humid close, the lid to my heart’s cedar chest of memories hearkens back to another August, one distant and cloaked in a recollection inherited from an old soldier of "The Greatest Generation" that I once called Grandpa.
By Drew Lindsey8 years ago in Families
The Eggs, the Fireplace, and the Oroborus
When I was a child, my Mother was a domestic engineer. Back in the 1970s that was the what would become a politically correct version of housewife. Whatever the term of the day for a mother whose career is raising her family, my Mom was it. By the time I was five or six, I had consumed a hen house full of eggs for breakfast. Every morning my plate held an unseasoned scrambled egg and a piece or two of bacon. The bacon always tasted great because God imbedded tastiness pork bellies. While the good Lord scored points with bacon, eggs he or she kinda fudged up on.
By Brian Kannard8 years ago in Families
Motherhood
Motherhood is beautiful. It's been my mantra since having my son. I remind myself all the time that my job as a mom is more important to me than anything. Motherhood is one of those things that gets put down so much in our communities. We don't value it as much as our grandparents used to.
By Rachel Larson8 years ago in Families
Golden Girl’s Guide to Surviving Your Cherub Morphing Into Satan
So we’ve all heard the horror stories from our emotionally harassed friends who have the blessing of being mummy (or indeed daddy, let's not leave the guys out here!) to a demanding toddler. Most of us at one point or another have been a shoulder to cry on for that friend who hasn’t had chance to wash her hair in days (no biggie... dry shampoo was invented for a reason!) because her beloved minion has had 8 million consecutive meltdowns so mama’s shower time never quite happened. We’ve probably passed the Chardonnay whilst thinking “shit what is she doing wrong?! My kids will NEVER behave like that!” Because it’s all in the parenting right?! ... Wrong!!!! Believe me, you can be the most lax parent going or you can parent like Jo Frost after 20 cans of Red Bull... If your darling offspring chooses to assert his or herself by channelling Satan at an ear splitting level then they will... whatever you do!!! So the key is learning how to keep your sanity when the shit gets real!!
By Emma Haywood8 years ago in Families
Raising a Man in a Room Full of Women
Raising a man in a room full of women... Often I read various sources posting about women getting a seat at the table alongside men, about equal pay, about equality that women still feel they don’t have in the workplace or the world at large.
By Hannah-Adjoa Smith8 years ago in Families
