immediate family
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
Cotton Candy Envelopes
Once a month a pastel envelope falls from the hole in the door. A woosh sound is heard as it floats its way to the floor with a light thud. When I turn over that rectangular package, I see a preprinted label on the front. Something my mother has always been concerned about, no one will understand her. This little Polish lady in black square glasses has been fighting her entire life. From a life in a Communist country to fending through new hurtles in a foreign land. You hear many stories from so many different family members. Why they left the country and why they settled in a place that they did not understand. These mailing labels explain how my mother used her tenacity to continue on when you have no idea what is in front of you.
By Ewa Ritchie6 years ago in Families
I Like To Say, 'I Grew up Rough'
I like to say I grew up rough. When I say ‘I grew up rough’, I mean that my dad and his friends fashioned paddles out of two by fours and traded them with each other like trophies and their favorite one had thirty-six holes and it whistled through the air and snapped like a frozen lake that’s being walked on and isn’t quite strong enough to support weight, and that half-second breath before the ice splits, is the red lattice pattern that ring-worms itself through skin.
By Melynda Kloc6 years ago in Families
An Unorthodox Easter
My mother calls me a cashew, like the nut. Since my father is catholic and my mother is Jewish, I seem to be stuck in between the two religions. If you combine the words catholic and Jewish, we can pretend it would make a word close to cashew, right? Although neither my brother nor I were raised religiously, we do still celebrate the holidays. (I would have to argue that this is more for our grandparents sake then ours, but that is just the angsty teen in me coming out.)
By Amanda Mitchell6 years ago in Families
And Then There Was the Flood
My mom got sick. And then, there was the flood... Mom started showing signs that something was wrong, just before Christmas. Her body was rounding in the middle, she was tired, easily out of breath, and not very hungry. We weren’t sure what to do with the Christmas ham we cooked. It ended up in the freezer, made into many soup related dishes as months drew on.
By Whitney Sweet6 years ago in Families
Dear Mommy,
Dear Mommy, I can't imagine my life with any other woman as my mother. I will never forget all you have sacrificed and done to make sure that your five children would grow into great human beings. Now what happened to us as a result of an abusive father has created a thumb print on each of us in our own way and yet you love us unconditionally anyway. Each of us carries a burden or problem with us most of the time and you are never too tired to hear about it or care. Our whole lives you showed us how to be contributing members of society. While living a life of broken heartedness and loss you continued to raise us each individually as needed for our success. Now to say that we are all successful is far from the truth but I would bet my last dollar on the fact that we are all way more grounded, caring, giving and most importantly loving than anyone you could think of other than yourself. You taught us that as long as we were in the position to help we should and that there is never a reason for being unkind even if it felt good. Kindness is something few people know and because of your relentless need to be kind all of your children find themselves holding doors for strangers, giving money to homeless people when they themselves is money stricken, helping whoever they can however they can. Coming from a relationship of abuse of the worst kinds you were still able to teach all of us the importance of remaining kind. You broke the cycle of abuse in all of us by protecting us with your own body on occasion and even hiding us at neighbors houses while you faced the abuse alone. Teaching us that family is number one priority was the best thing you could have done for us. We continue to carry that on with us as we are all grown today with our own families. We all have our reactions from the abuse and you accept us each as our individual selves. Some of us suffer great mental illness and you still stand by us and with us as we battle our inner demons. Several mothers have given up on their children for less and yet there you are cheering us on to victory. I will never forget what you have sacrificed to save us from the abuse. How you worked two or three jobs at a time and went to school for a better degree and how you always showed up when it mattered. You never missed a beat of our lives and continue to still do so. You are 73 years young and you are the strongest woman I have ever encountered in my life. You stood by all of us with our drug addictions and struggles with drinking. You were there to help us through our saddest moments including burying a son in law, my son's father. You helped me raise my children when I was so overwhelmed with depression that I couldn't do it alone. Never will I forget what you sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for our safety and well being. I know you cry your self to sleep silently not saying a word. I know it hurts to hear us hurting but you listen anyway. You will never turn away from us no matter how hateful or hurtful we may become because of our mental illnesses. You never put a stigma on our mental illnesses and continue to help us all navigate through the mental health system and life. I will never forget what you sacrificed for us and I will never let it be in vain. On this day I promise to never quit striving to be a mother like you. I wish that I could measure up to you as a mother but fear I never will. You are an amazing woman. You walked through fire and came out on the other side unscathed because of your faith and I hope to one day carry that same faith in my heart and soul. You will not be forgotten ever and neither will your sacrifices. If anything I feel guilty for putting you through more drama. Like you need more drama? I know who my siblings are, we are all drama battling our demons and you stand by us every single day you breath. I fear the day I lose you because I will no longer have that cheerleader in my corner. The woman that taught me everything I know about being a better version of myself through tackling her own problems. You beat it all by yourself. Your parents were gone and your sibling didn't understand and you still did it anyway. For us, your children. You put up with things that no one should ever have to deal with as a mother and you did it with pride for us in your eyes because you love without condition. For that I thank you. Teaching unconditional love both helps and hinders me today, but mostly helps me. I am a more understanding and caring human being. I am not in a group of bullies and I am not standing alone. I have learned that I need a support team to get through life by watching you so tiredly survive your own story. Will anyone ever understand what it means? Probably not, unless we can get that book written. One from the perspective of each of us. But here's the thing Mom, to me you are on a pedestal as far as I'm concerned. I would lay my life on the line for you for what you have done for me and my siblings and my children. You never stopped giving even when you had nothing to give you continued to love without judgment and because of that I will be a success. I will rise above and I will not give up on life. Because you never have and never will so where do I get off feeling so sorry for myself? I'm so sorry for any problems I have caused you. I'm sorry for taking advantage of your kindness and for the tribulations I have put you through. Without you in my life I feel as though I would have died a long time ago. But here I sit in front of the computer chasing my dream as a writer, writing you a letter to let you know that you are my encouragement. You are my reason for being. I continue on because of you and your kindness and love. I watch my sibling living their lives because of you as well. Maybe we don't agree on all decisions made by one another but we love each other unconditionally and in our small town we are know as a little "crazy". I use the word loosely. But in our community we are also known as a family that sticks together when the going gets tough the Lairds get tougher. That is because of you. You are the strongest woman I have ever met in my entire life and will always model my choices and life after yours. I am thankful I had you as a mom and not someone unable to handle me. I know I am a handful. Mom you are the greatest gift I have and dread for the day I will no longer have you, but until that day comes I will call everyday. I will spend as much time with you as I can soaking up all that love you have to give. I think I am about a fourth as strong as you are and thank you for sharing that much. I only hope that one day someone will remember you because of me and my kindness, unconditional love and caring nature. Yes it's true people already say, "you must be Mickey's daughter!" I beam inside when I hear that because I have never had a better compliment. To be known as your daughter because of similar character traits is an accomplishment in itself. You may feel you didn't succeed in life and that you should have done things differently but let me reassure you my ability to share this with the world, what you have taught me, is a testimony to the strength you have shared with me. I will carry the torch and pass it on down the line. I really write this letter to thank you for everything. Even the bad times have helped to mold me into a stronger individual. As a kid you used to say some day you will understand why things happen, well that day is today and I know that I watched you in all your struggles to be able to overcome those of my own. I love you today and every day. I will never forget what you have done for us. I will never forget you did it alone. I will never forget your strength in doing so either. Your legacy will live on forever through the generations as long as I have anything to say about it. Thank you mom. It's true as you grow your mother is your confidant, your go to, your partner in crime. You are all of those things to me and so many more. I can't explain any clearer how much you mean to me. You are my everything Mom and I will always live my life to make you proud and to show the world what a strong woman you are. I promise. I love you.
By Jessica Norris6 years ago in Families
Not Such a Bad Way at All
The wind banked off the otherwise languid Mississippi in big, billowing gusts ensuring an extra chill would envelope the revelers on the wharf near the Café Du Monde. Everyone had on their war paint, but the taunts and jibes of just minutes earlier had subsided. An unspoken ceasefire took hold as we all counted down the remaining moments of 1980.
By Craig Hester6 years ago in Families
The Thin, Thin Line
The Thin, Thin Line I came across a quote on Instagram not too long ago and it mentioned something about cutting toxic people out of your life; that it’s ok to do so even if they’re family, something like that. I scrolled past it without giving it too much thought, but it stuck with me anyway. This one, unlike the million others I see every day, I felt personally. I’d cut someone toxic out of my life years ago, and sometimes I don’t know if it was the best thing I’d ever done or the worst.
By Sweet Karoline6 years ago in Families
Marlow's Lotta Fun
My family has been devout lake-goers ever since my great grandparents bought a lot on Watts Bar lake over fifty years ago. Five generations of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents assemble at the lot to bask in the sunshine, compete in various activities, relax around a campfire, and gorge on any food we can fry.
By Kelsie Eldridge 6 years ago in Families
Rebecca's story
"Quick, quick, he's coming down the alleyway" Aida's voice yelled in panic. "Quick, Mam, or else we'll miss him, Mam... Mam...where are you...." her voice tailed off in a plaintive wail of desperation at her missing parent. "Walter," she shouted "run down to the end of the entry and stop him, bring him back here while I get our Mam " Tutting and muttering several expletives under her breath Aida set off back across the yard in search of her quarry. Walter, her younger brother, for once decided to follow his sisters orders, knowing that she was quite capable of boxing his ear should he fail to apprehend the stranger. Aida was very set upon this and Walter knew of old that once Aida had made her mind up about something there was very little that would get in the way of her. Catching up to the young man however didn't prove too difficult to a lad of his age and agility especially as the stranger had drawn such a crowd of interested onlookers out of the back to back court houses that his progress was quite limited in the narrow entry. Especially as he carried a large cumbersome box against his chest and was picking his way gingerly through the discarded rubbish and other unsavoury deluge that littered the alleyway, his face set in an expression of utter disgust. "Mister, Walter pulled at the tail of his smart suit to attract his attention, "Mister, our Mam wants you to take her picture..."
By Maria Lorraine Preston6 years ago in Families
