extended family
All about how to stay connected, strengthen ties and talk politics with your big, happy extended family.
Call the Monster-in-Law
We have all heard so many horror stories. We all are terrified of one part of a relationship. The parents. For the men, it is usually fear of the dad or the brothers. You have heard some pretty interesting stories about those. But most of the time, they sort it out like men. And when all boundaries are established and feelings have been made clear, usually it is fine between them. After all, it is a common theory that many women find partners that remind them of positive male role models in their lives. Men, on the other hand, don't usually find women like their mothers.
Lynn AdamsPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesHope You Can Live With Yourself
Sometimes you just have to cut people out of your lives and move on. I have tried with all of my might to remain considerate and polite throughout the handling of my husband's estate.
Susana ShadowsPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesHome
When I was born, I was born into a family very different from others. I was born into a Christian family, but not just any Christian family. No, I was a pastor’s kid. My grandfather, whom I call Poppy, is the pastor of a little church in Alabama called Agape Christian Fellowship. My parents got married young, which was quite shocking to my mom’s parents. They believed that they were way too young to get married, but they allowed it. As soon as my mom graduated high school, they got married. They didn’t plan on having any kids until they had both finished college, but some medicine my mom was taking counteracted her birth control, so a year after my parents got married, I was born. On the day my mom and I were released from the hospital, it was a Sunday. On that beautiful Sunday morning, guess where I went before I even got to view my own home. If you guessed church, then you’re correct. Most everyone in the church had been there for years; they’d all seen my mom grow up, so they wanted to see her precious little baby, me, so badly that it couldn’t wait until Wednesday night.
Michaela MartinPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesFamily Isn't Always Blood
"They're like a sister to me!" We live in a world where the term "family" is getting harder and harder to explain. For some, their family includes their grandparents, aunts, and uncles, cousins -- even the second cousins they only see at family reunions. For others, their family dynamic relies on their friend group due to their disconnection to their family after so long. The family does not always have to be your blood to be considered family; they just have to care.
Ashleigh SmithPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesWhen Your Time as Their Nanny is Over
I have been a nanny and babysitter for seven years. Seven years of meeting little ones and falling in love with them almost immediately. Seven years of “hello” and seven years of “goodbye”, although sometimes you never get a chance for the latter. Seven years of teaching and loving and disciplining. They’ve been the best seven years.
Some of the Most Poignant or Humorous Conversations I Ever Had
This paragraph is hard for me to write. A Facebook messenger conversation I had recently with an old friend that I haven't seen or even texted in years sparked so many emotions and thoughts for me. It got me thinking about other poignant, even high school romance-tragic conversations I had over the years, and humorous convos that got me through the day or a rough patch in life. My biggest takeaway from all these conversations is that people, of all ages and walks in life, are resilient and stronger than we know. We are innate survivors, even after all the drama, dysfunction, horrible childhoods, and addictions in life.
Turning Two Worlds Into One
Ever since I can remember, I have dreamed of becoming a mother. When I was little I would cater to my baby dolls as if they were real life, fragile babies. I couldn't wait until I could have kids of my own one day. It's like I've had baby fever since I was just a little girl.
Lauren HaleyPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesTruths? Some of My Feels into Your Daily Reads
This is great...I’ve really wanted to share how I feel sort of anonymously? But like kind of also like an autobiography type deal? I’m not a writer by any means, I just.. truth? Let’s say truth. I’m going to keep it honest, no BS, no exaggerations, nothing. Flat out honesty. Something I don’t do often, I tend to hide how I feel 90 percent of the time. Maybe I’ll just start off with the end and travel back to the beginning? Today, May 7th, 2018, my third niece's birthday. I’m not even there to wish her a happy birthday...To watch her cheer in excitement about the gifts everyone got her or her just being excited to have everyone over. My heart feels so broken that I can’t be there and it’s kind of eating me up inside. I feel so lost...It's only 1:00 PM and I’ve done nothing today but wash some dishes and make a small snack.
Brown Girl: No, I'm Not Adopted
When I was in kindergarten, a girl in my class told me that if my mommy is really white and my daddy is really black, I should be grey instead of beige. At five years old, this comment wasn't particularly concerning to me, because I had never put much thought into ethnicity or race, especially not my own being biracial. The only meaning her question held for me was that this girl was excelling in our colour mixing unit in art class.
Maya PricePublished 6 years ago in FamiliesOur Roots
Our Roots, What We Are Built On When people ask your family history, where you come from and the fundamentals on how you were raised, one thing pops into mind. Our roots, the basis of all foundations. The very foundation our grandmothers were raised on, our mothers and aunts/uncles, the strong and sturdy roots my very own grandfather was brought up on, my own father and brothers all the way down to the current stop on the roots at my heaven sent nephew and neice. We think of the people who hold us up, build us, and grow with us. I'll water this tree as long as the roots continue to grow.
Rae.b HavenerPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesChapter 2: A Somewhat Dad
Uncle Vaughn was handsome tall, funny, and loved me. My mother dated him before she decided to get married. In Trinidad we call men that are older than us uncles. She dated a few people but, he was the first person who sat down on the floor with me and colored with me. I could not have been older than four. And I remember every detail of that man. He was pure sunshine. My heart skipped when I saw him because I knew he would pick me up and spin me around. I knew he gave a s*** about me.
Rebecca LawPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesSigns Your BFF Is Going to Be an Amazing Aunt
It takes a special friend to mold into the role of also being your children's future aunt. As life changes, friends come and go, but your best friend is there for you no matter what.
Kelsey LangePublished 6 years ago in Families