immediate family

Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.

The Blanket
I made a lap blanket for my grandma, “Ma,” once. I crocheted it from soft, angora-like yarn in variegated white and powder blue, a block design with white roses in the center. I had good intentions when I bought that yarn: Ma’s favorite color was blue, and the petal-softness of it would be a comfort to her super-sensitive skin. This particular yarn was machine washable; the warmth such fluffiness promised was a bonus.
By Cindy Bevington Olmstead5 years ago in Families
My Father's Day Homage to My Father
There once was a child who was so beguiled by her father, that she would lay in bed at night plotting ways to take her mother out of the equation.
By Cathy Pepe5 years ago in Families
The Joyous Rebellion of Pockets
Walking by the lake, my daughter casually pulls a candy out of her pocket, pulls on the crinkly twists on either end, liberates the treat into her mouth, then hands me the still-sticky cellophane wrapper, which I stuff with a small thrill of pleasure into my own pocket. It will join a few coins, a pretty rock collected from the beach and a seasoning of dirt or dried flower petals plus pocket fuzz. I smile to myself, feeling slightly naughty and just a little rebellious even after all these years – it’s still liberating!
By Deborah Kellogg5 years ago in Families
The Ladybug
We all know how 2020 went. Between lockdowns, loss of jobs, loss of family members, the election, and the lack of toilet paper, it was quite an overwhelming anxiety-filled year.
By Danielle Weed Bell5 years ago in Families
Creating for an Angel
I have always believed in Angel's both those with wings and those without. The tale I weave surrounds the creation of a special present for one of my own earth-bound angels, my beautiful sister. It all started one Friday night, the night of the week we refer to as "Friday Night Finger Food". Where the members of our immediate tribe gather to consume wine, eat the aforesaid finger food and debrief from the hustle, bustle and interactions with the not so smart folk that inhabit this world. In other words we have a little whine with our wine.
By Marieke J Treloar5 years ago in Families
Create My Happiness
I love to crochet and am always looking for new ideas and techniques to incorporate into my work. Every piece I crochet, I make for someone specific and individualize the work based on who I am giving it to. I find joy in each piece I create and more joy in giving the gifts to the people I love.
By Ladean Adamiszyn5 years ago in Families
Love knows no age
Remember the teasing when you were a teenager, that the boy or girl you had a crush on was older than you? The bigging up by male friends for being a toy boy?
By Janine S White5 years ago in Families
Outdoor Family Activities to Try Out This Summer
The image source is Pexels. Whether you're planning to travel this summer or just need some new activities to help your children get their energy out, you will need some time in the great outdoors. Check out the hiking trails at local state parks, or see what's available in your neighborhood. Make sure you have some water playtime scheduled for the hot days.
By Rayanne Morriss5 years ago in Families
Whale of a Time!
As a single father, I learned that the most meaningful moments of my life were the times I spent with my daughter during our annual summer vacations. Regardless of the destination or the time we spent together, those moments and memories will always remain priceless! This story is about the year I decided to take my daughter to Alaska, which yielded one of the most memorible moments in "our" lives. Little did I know, I would capture two incredible photographs, of which one holds no weight to the other.
By 𝒢. 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝓈 𝑅𝒶𝓅𝓅5 years ago in Families
mommy
her words. "it’s not despite where you come from, it’s because of where you come from. it’s not that i’m successful even though i am a black woman, it’s that my blackness and womanhood have driven me to become who i am. i was raised in cabrini green, the place people from the south side didn’t even want to go to. the place where my friends’ parents said they could never go for a playdate. people looked at me differently because of where i grew up, said that i wouldn’t do well because of the people around me. but that didn’t phase me. because i knew the people around and my neighborhood helped make me who i am. does that make sense? you can be successful because of all the hardships you’ve been through. because you live on the block that no one goes to. because you had no money. because there was no one to love you. because your brown skin made them judge you differently. but when you have no money you learn how to make a dollar outta 59 cents. when there is no one to love you, you learn to love yourself. because your brown skin makes them judge you, you learn how to step into a room and command respect. and you are uniquely you because of your experiences. do you understand that? so many of our children think they can’t. they can’t because of x. they can’t because of y. and who is telling you all otherwise? no one."
By Georgi Eloise5 years ago in Families
Ahead of Her Time
My mother was a force of nature. But not what you’d expect to be the powerhouse monarch of the household. She was in charge without seeming to be. Her gentle warmth and humor make everything comfortable, everything just worked. I suspect she was really like a swan, soft and regal on the surface but paddling madly under the surface.
By Mary Haynes5 years ago in Families
My Mother's Food
Goya. Growing up, the name was as familiar to me as Kraft or Nestle. My mother and all the women who have trailed before her have all used Goya foods in their Caribbean recipes. It’s the special ingredient that gives my mother’s food its pizzazz, that extra dose of flavor that makes my taste buds crackle with joy. I began eating Hispanic dishes made from Goya long before I could properly chew. “It’s good for her!” my grandmothers would tell my worried mother as they gladly fed me arroz con habichuela y guineo (rice and beans with banana) as an infant. These were the same grandmothers that were raised (and attempted to pass on to me) with a bottle of coffee before bedtime.
By Jess5 years ago in Families