siblings
Siblings are the only enemy you can't live without.
Thanksgiving, 1990-Something
It was the Thanksgiving of 1990-something. I still lived in my childhood family home in Toledo, Ohio, my grandparents were still alive, my brother was still alive, my parents were still happily-ish married, and my aunt’s most-favorite-dog-of-all-time was still alive and well. Not to start on a morbid note. But all things considered, it really was one of the best memories I have of Thanksgiving, as fucked up as it was.
By Alexandra Sedlak4 years ago in Families
Aunt Bonnie
She was 70 and on oxygen the Thanksgiving that she pulled a butcher knife on my father...her brother...Jack. Then she threw it at him, but he ducked in time and it stuck quivering in her cupboard for a millisecond before crashing to the floor. Ordinarily, I’d label this event as “traumatic” but taken as a whole, it was just a single scene in a surface “normal”, albeit dysfunctional family Thanksgiving. There is poignancy in the fact that it would be our last one but that didn’t have anything to do with weapons. In any case, cousin Jeannie (Bonnie’s daughter) and I were too busy rifling through Bonnie’s closet for evidence of two of Bonnie’s children’s paternity, that we were not present for the argument that led up to the incident.
By Tammy Castleman4 years ago in Families
A Christmas I Don’t Remember Forgetting
There was poop and pee everywhere. On the floor, on the couch. Even a day later, and after a good cleanup, I was still finding poop in nooks and crannies. It even haunted me in my dreams. This is not a good way to start a story, I know, but given the theme of this writing challenge, I thought it best to give a preview where this is going. The events of this disastrous holiday gathering began so innocently, and as a result, I never could have foreseen such a revolting aftermath.
By Ghostface Writer4 years ago in Families
Yellow Shirt Girl
In my family, Thanksgiving is always quite the ordeal. There are so many people in my family that it’s always a really large gathering, but it’s usually the same people who attend it every year. Cousins, siblings, grandparents, and even some of our more distant relatives all join together at my great aunt’s large home, where we host a potluck brunch and everyone brings their favorite dishes. We gather around to watch movies and eat as many helpings of food as we can fit in our stomachs. However, a few years ago, we had an unexpected guest.
By Brenna Williams4 years ago in Families
Single Kenyan Moms Blamed For Children's Behavior: Not Poverty, Polygamy, Gender-Based Violence or Untrained Teachers
During Covid-19 lockdown in Kenya the incidents of gender-based violence grew out of control. Hundreds of Kenyans ended up on the streets, many with their children to escape violence in their homes. So much so that BBC filmed the famed documentary in Kenya about the high rising incidents of gender violence.
By IwriteMywrongs4 years ago in Families
The NYE When My Dog Ran Away
In 2007 on New Year's Eve, my dog ran away. I was coming home from an internship at Disney World. I was on a cross-country road trip with a friend to make my way back to Northwest Arkansas. My friend was another college intern. She lived in Kansas City. My parents planned to meet her family/caravan in Missouri, and they would take me the rest of the way to Mountain Home.
By Andrea Lawrence4 years ago in Families
Fields Ablaze
The bonfire blazed as we roasted our hot dogs over the hot flames. Our dogs wagged their tails excitedly as they ran from one Fourth of July reveler to the next, and the fireworks exploded overhead in a myriad of colors. Across the road, on the other side of the barbed wire fence, one wayward rocket burst, instantly igniting the dry Texas grass in the pasture beyond.
By Laura Pruett4 years ago in Families
Busting Balls
He had many nicknames, but usually preferred to be addressed as Red Power Ranger. My blonde-haired, blue-eyed, cherub of a brother was born the year I turned thirteen. His name was Gabriel – like the Christmas angel – and he sometimes believed he could fly.
By Holly Pheni4 years ago in Families
