Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
My house isn't a mess, it's lived in.
If you walk through my door you will be greeted by one of our five dogs or a child, or both. The living room is where the dogs and our younger child hang out. It's where movie are watched, art projects are done and meals are eaten. It's not dirty, but there is generally a mess. There's dog toys, and school papers and kids clothes, there's always glitter somewhere and usually a barbie shoe or squishy toy stuffed in some part of the couch or recliner. It's lived in.
By April Knox5 years ago in Families
Macon, GA
I was born and raised in the “Heart of Georgia”, also known as Macon, GA. I went off to the University of Georgia to study Art History in 2011 and now live in Atlanta working as a photographer. About 6 months ago I started visiting Macon more regularly to document the landscape and architecture of my adolescence with the camera. A lot has changed since I was younger. The house I was born and raised in was sold a couple of years ago. My Dad is a widower that lives in a rented apartment. None of my friends live in Macon anymore. Seeing Macon with older eyes makes me wonder if it’s still my home. So much of what is familiar of my past is deteriorating rapidly and all that I have left are memories of what was once my home. These memories of my upbringing raise questions about what the nature of “home” is for me. I find myself meditating on the ephemeral and mutable nature of memory and its relationship to identity. If who I am is largely defined by my past experiences, then what happens to me as my memories and perceptions become latent and alter over time?
By Elliott Fuerniss5 years ago in Families
The Notebook
She sat in the bright foyer of the hotel, a cup of deliciously fragrant coffee on the low marble table, steam rising in tendrils then slowly dissipating into the hurried New York atmosphere. Even in this sparsely furnished space, elegant and simple, purposefully created to provide a moment of serenity, the energy of the city was palpable.
By Sonya Conway5 years ago in Families
I Know What To Do
"Okay, I'm fairly sure I know what to do, at least." The check rippled slightly in my hand as I looked at it, my hand trembling as I sent the email to my former ninth grade English teacher. The first two checks had been shredded weeks ago, and several emails ensued. Each email from me contained a grateful insistence that I couldn't take her money, and each email from her repeated a graceful insistence that her intentions were purely kind, and that I owed her nothing.
By Marcus Mebes5 years ago in Families
What Black Excellence Means To Me. Top Story - February 2021.
The portrayal of Black excellence very often includes an immaculate, fashionable, well-off Black couple that takes trips, runs a multi-million dollar company, have amazing educational accomplishments and raise beautiful children that dress like mini fashion models. While all those things are incredible and I manifest that more brothers and sisters of color will get to experience similar accomplishments; I must state my point that Black Excellence is so much more than those things alone.
By M. McFadden5 years ago in Families
Little Black Sheep
Growing up I was always referred to as the 'black sheep' of my family. My mother would always say "you are your fathers' child" because I was always getting into trouble at school. I was the fourth daughter in a family of five daughters, my sisters all looked like my mum, pretty and petite. I, on the other hand had inherited my dads' tall, lanky frame, bushy eyebrows and thick curly black hair. He wasn't ugly but still, I was a girl and didn't have my mums' pretty attributes.
By Kaylene Tangiora5 years ago in Families
WHEN I SLEEP...
WHEN I SLEEP… This pandemic has certainly got me down. I am a disabled senior, age 76 who has spent most of the last 35 years trying to write that never-ending story. The stories keep ending but the writing never seems to stop and for a dyslexic writer it is quite a challenge.
By Bob Carswell5 years ago in Families
Good Moms Can Have Bad Days
Motherhood is hard. Really, really, really hard. It doesn't matter if you have a partner to help. It doesn't matter if you have a housekeeper, a nanny, and a personal chef. Even with an entire village, being a mom is the most difficult calling on the planet.
By Aria White5 years ago in Families
Parents Can't Win Arguments
There is no winning an argument with a teen There is a fourteen year spread between my oldest daughter and her half-sister and half-brother. After divorcing her alcoholic father when she was two, I didn’t remarry for nine years. I had managed to get me and her through the toddler and preschool years from two through five and into kindergarten at that point. I was pretty smug, thinking I'd figured successful parenting out. Boy was I in for a shocking surprise! Early childhood and adolescence were only the beginning.
By Jerrie DeRose5 years ago in Families
