Top Stories
Stories in Families that you'll love, handpicked by our team.
Halcyon Daze. Top Story - June 2022.
The humble ham sandwich has never tasted as good as it did in the summer of ’86. Who knows what sorcery my Aunt Elaine employed, but somehow, in her hands, two ordinary slices of bread, a smear of margarine and the cheapest deli ham became something magical.
By Allie MacBain4 years ago in Families
Toasted, Buttered Donuts. Top Story - June 2022.
There’s a tradition at our family cottage in Maine that no one ever forgets and everyone is always ready for. It usually happens on those rare cool summer mornings, when even though it may reach over eighty degrees by noon, the mornings keep us wrapped in blankets or with hoodies pulled over sleep-tousled heads. As I possess the most parenting roles (Mom and Gramma) the responsibility falls to me to perpetuate the tradition; gather the supplies, prepare the space, initiate the activity. On those chilly summer mornings no matter who is there or how old they are, I make toasted buttered doughnuts. It’s a modest tradition, really, but oh, so important to our family.
By Cindy Eastman4 years ago in Families
Black dads, ice-cream, and inflation . Top Story - June 2022.
Part of baby fever is wondering which of my parents’ stories I will tell. Children are like blank palette souls waiting to be colored by their experiences, and parents are like spirit guides who give frame of reference to every new color, shape, and texture. Thinking about which narratives I will perpetuate feels like curating my future children’s library. When my son notices that his hair is short and his sister’s is long, will I tell him the story of Genesis? Shall I give him a brief introduction to gender roles? Or maybe I will immerse him in popular culture by showing him pictures in magazines that inspired his look? Will I encourage my daughter’s anthropological curiosity by delving into the history, and even the utility of long hair? Will I explain to her that vitality and fertility is signaled by long hair? Or will I let my children’s hair both grow long and free, and wait until my son comes to ask my why he is different, and then should I choose that moment to reinforce to him that he is special? I think of the many ways my dad made me feel special.
By Vineece Verdun4 years ago in Families
The Game of My Life. Top Story - June 2022.
I dug my cleat into the dirt on the mound and looked at my catcher for the sign. There were two outs and the tying run was on second in the tenth inning. The tenth inning of a high school game. We’d already played an extra half game of this district playoff on a hot, muggy summer night in Memphis. My team had no business being in this game, let alone being ahead with a chance to win. It was the end of a tumultuous senior year. Our team had struggled, practices and games ended up in us getting mercilessly berated by our head coach, and morale was generally low.
By John Moore4 years ago in Families
A Rabbit’s Dream of Saffron . Top Story - June 2022.
As a myopic, bookish child, much of my time was spent mired in fantasy. When not absorbed in volumes of myths and ghost stories, I investigated what of the world I could, searching for evidence that the wonders I read about were not merely entertaining fictions, but rather messages from the past alluding to the mysterious true workings of the Universe. Now, nearing my 45th birthday, I see, for many people, that “growing up” means turning away from such endeavors, as it is seen as unbecoming to dream too much as an adult. I was never in danger of such a fate.
By J. Otis Haas4 years ago in Families
Yup, that's my dad.. Top Story - June 2022.
In honour of father's day, I decided that for the 'dads are no joke challenge', I'd do something a little different. I decided that instead of one long story about my dad being my dad, I'd tell you ten mini stories of times when my dad was... well... in classic dad mode.
By Billie Whyte4 years ago in Families
Harvest. Top Story - June 2022.
The sun had not even begun to crest the horizon when I heard the clang of pans in the kitchen, followed by the crack and sizzle of eggs frying. Grandma Nellie did not even try to be quiet. She wasn’t too used to having others in the house. Besides, it wouldn’t be long before MaNet, her daughter and my grandmother, would creep into the bedroom to gently rouse my brother and me. The smell of bread toasting to a near black wafted like lit charcoal across the bed linens and was quickly replaced by the sweet, salty scent of bologna hitting the cast iron.
By Andrew Forrest Baker4 years ago in Families
From David to Dad. Top Story - June 2022.
The pain was so intense. I sat on the hot sidewalk, holding my foot as tears streamed down my face. My mom bent down and reached for one of the six sticker burrs that had penetrated the bottom of my foot when I ran through the neighbors yard. I screamed, or perhaps it was more of a screech. The thought of her touching it was just too much for my five year old brain to take. What if she pushed it in further by mistake? How was I ever going to be free of this agony?
By Brandon Phifer4 years ago in Families
Why'd It Take Me So Long To See?. Top Story - June 2022.
We all change as we get older. Yet we all have core values and personality traits that define us from early in life. My dad is a good man. One of the best I ever met. And he’s always been that way. That hasn’t changed, and it never will.
By Staci Troilo4 years ago in Families
