humanity
Humanity begins at home.
One step forward and Two steps back
I know that everyone has heard the phrase “One step forward, two steps back”. Well lately that phrase alone explains my life. To be honest, I am struggling. I am at the point in my life where I thought I would be settled down, with kids, a stable job, finishing or finished with college, and a sense of stability. However, I am in the middle of a divorce, I only have visitation of my kids, I am about 1/3 of the way done with my bachelor’s and still need to get my Masters degree. There is no stability in my life. In fact, or the last 4 years more life changing thing shave happened then I would really like to admit. Is this the new normal for my generation? I am not sure. I look at my aunts, uncles, parents, and even grandparents and I see marriages that have lasted twenty plus years and how settled they were at such a young age. Then I look at my life and the lives of my friends. I just cannot seem to figure out if it is something that we are doing wrong or if it is the way of the world now days. This year alone, I have personally heard from friends and family or more than 4 divorces and for the friends that chose to date or stay engaged for the last 5-7 years: break-ups. I wish I had the answers. I wish that I knew how to be that stable and happy women I dreamed of being as a kid. Right now, all I am is a struggling adult who puts on a happy and confident face more than 85% of the day. I am sure that at least some of you know how that feels and please if any of you know the answers feel free to share.
By Katrina Chamberlain6 years ago in Families
To Be Human
“It was a spring day when they came”, said Anna. “My sister Lisa and I along with many others saw the soldiers that liberated us. We were prisoners of Bergen Belsen concentration camp and many of us had come from the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. We were the only members of our family left, for the Nazis had murdered our family along with 11 million others.”
By Jim Von Schmittou6 years ago in Families
The windows that keep me safe from outside
*We’ll deliver your parcel between 11am and 1pm* promises the email from the delivery company. I can’t help but feel sparks of anticipation when I read this. Something exciting will happen today! So, at 12:17 when the doorbell rings, I know exactly what it is: five new notebooks because I just don’t have these ones, Dad, they’re not the same as all the others! The delivery driver has left the parcel outside and are on their way to the gate, but I sprint down the hall to my front window to wave and say thank you very much! The effort of running is worth it to interact with someone new. It is exhilarating to see a different face; one that isn’t my mum’s or my dad’s, and there’s also only so many times I can study my features in the mirror from absolutely every single angle possible to determine what I actually look like.
By Iona Del Pino6 years ago in Families
It Was, It Is, It Will Be
Oh, these panes of glass! The things they must’ve seen. The winds that they have protected against the cold that they have shielded from, frosting over themselves. Becoming one with the landscape. The squares that perspire with each summer ray and rain. Oh, this window has seen so much. Has been the frame, the canvas, the home to so many things. Today though, this view is somewhat similar to yesterday, the only change is that there is possibility. Today this window will see change.
By Eslieann Lefler6 years ago in Families
My Friend Gins Corner
Hello, my name is Virginia Green (Ohern), I was born on Sunday July 29th, 1962 at 5:32pm; that makes me a Leo (57 years old) , and I am very proud of it! I want to do this because I have had a lot of experiences during my life and I am hoping that if I share those experiences and how I reacted to them (or how I SHOULD have reacted to them) will help people in one way or another.
By Virginia Green6 years ago in Families
Life is never fair.
It's a cliche, I know, but as I sit here watching cartoons with my kids and drinking coffee, it's become clearer the older I get. As a child you're given mixed messages. "Be kind. Don't hate." but also "the real world is a cruel place. Toughen up." Which can be confusing as you get older. One thing I was always told however, was that life is never fair. I had it shouted at me, told in passing or even said it myself. Though I learned the truth behind those words at a young age, I always wished and hoped that it would be one day. When my stepfather treated me differently than my siblings simply because I wasn't his real child, I learned. When he began to beat me and tell me awful things, I learned. When my mother finally kicked him out and started the divorce process, I thought things would turn around. I thought that things would start being 'fair'. However, as we all know, it never is. I learned it more and more harshly as the years went on. Every time my mother decided to buy alcohol/pills instead of paying for heating oil. Each time my heart had been broken. When my siblings had to leave and live with their father and I stayed with my mom. When my mother chose her demons over her children. I learned.
By Chelsea Marie Riehl6 years ago in Families
The Courtyard
My hand reaches for the wand that hangs down the side of the blinds. Grabbing and pushing the stick each panel of the covering slides overlapping one another until the way is opened to the world outside the glass doors. Vivid colors start to come into focus. Blinking I adjust my eyes to the light. I open them again and beautiful hues of blues and tints of green with rays of light are complemented by the shades of browns, reds, and yellows that make up the trees from the court yard. Plants that grow on the ground bring all of the colors to full circle. As I look up into the tree there is a nest far up in the branches, then I see something move. I watch as the animal comes into view. At first it is just a streak of greyish brown, but then I can start to see the shape form into a squirrel. It has a fluffy tale with its agile little body. It scurries further down the branch. I need to take the shot on a camera. It is a good thing I brought my phone out with me to the deck. I love to take pictures in nature. It helps me remember the feelings I have as I see the scenes.
By Trycia Lino6 years ago in Families
A tree I never knew I needed
A tree that sat outside of my window holds many stories throughout my childhood. I have been living in this house for about 20 years now which is 90% of my life. This tree has been alive and standing ever since I have been living in my room. In a strange way, this tree has given me security and awareness. From the branches waving when it was windy and depending on how hard they blew. If there is a storm near. To my dog jumping in the bathtub when she was scared. When the leaves fell, I knew not only was the time of the year was changing, but time of school was changing to certain yearly personal daily habits as well.
By Johnny Fentry Jr.6 years ago in Families
Short Notice
It all started on a hot Summer day in GreensBoro, NC when little Jameek noticed that something large came in the mail. When Jameek opened the mail, it was a huge colorful guitar. He asked his grandmother, “what’s this that we received in the mail”? She replied “I don’t know son. You tell me”. So little Jameek filled with excitement noticed it had his name on the wrapper the Guitar came in. He said” Grandma Grandma the Guitar is for me, what do I do? His Grandmother advised him to wait for his Grandfather to come in from the yard. At exactly 4:59pm his grandfather came in & was excited to see his grandson holding such a large instrument. Little Jameek begged his poppa to help him set up his guitar. On the first day of school he brought his guitar and showed it off to his classmates & friends, they loved the color. It was red with gold trimming and it had a silver shine to it. Very shiny as the kids would say.
By Eddie Johnson6 years ago in Families
Piece of Mind
This quarantine is ridiculous. Absolutely necessary but I've had enough. Yes, I totally understand how this virus is potentially dangerous, is in fact but I'm so done with attempting to be an adult with how not very well at all my family and I are dealing with each other. My thirteen year old autistic daughter is handling this whole thing better than the four grown ups that live her. It probably helps that she's been begging me to home school since she learned how to speak so this whole thing is, like, the best thing ever to happen in her whole entire universe and she's praying hard everyday that it doesn't change.
By Jacqueline Courtney Rios6 years ago in Families
