Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Homecoming
Who would have thought that a dusty old Honda Accord could have moved her to tears... With the rear bumper still pushed in on the corner from when Mum reversed it into the heavy wooden gate that kept her home private, with maroon paint that was cracked and faded. The same car that had driven her to the airport years ago. She made so many promises, and wished she'd kept more of them. An awful, heavy sadness had draped over her as she looked at it, leaving her adrift between numbness and tears.
By Samuel Hill5 years ago in Families
Little Black Book of Generosity
Two cups of rice...Heather wrote down in her small black notebook, sighing and breathing heavily. Heather had a habit of writing down what she owed to Mrs Thompson, the nice, elderly lady living next door. Mrs. Thompson never bothered asking Heather for payment, but Heather promised to return the kindness.
By Lucius White5 years ago in Families
"The Stronghearts"
It was the summer of ’79 when I first laid eyes on them. A 1956 teal blue Ford sedan rumbled by our Santa Fe style compound, our home, where I and my siblings grew up. The neighborhood and particularly the street we lived on; "Camino Sierra Vista" was considered “The Barrio” in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A Spanish term for “The Ghetto.” However, we were so fond of our hood and had no idea that we were poor, nor lived in a part of town that was considered less than.
By Echo Johnson5 years ago in Families
Why I Stopped Sharing My Goals With My Parents
"Kevin, talk to me," my mom was talking to me, "What do you want to do?" I averted my gaze and mumbled, "Nothing," as I walked upstairs into my room. My mom was probing me about my plans, goals, and my future. I didn't want to say anything, though. I already knew what my parents are going to tell me.
By Kevin Shan5 years ago in Families
Burnt
Suchitra wore red to the cremation. She buttoned up a crimson blouse and outlined her lips in carmine, defiant with joy at her uncle’s passing. She went dressed like the fire that would finally claim what was left of him, reveling in his death. To no one’s surprise the funeral was small. Baal was not popular by any means. He had no hobbies beyond TV-watching, and barely drank any alcohol, so the friendships made at the local watering hole did not include him. A couple coworkers from the factory came. A handful of family was there too, dressed in traditional white kurtas and head scarfs, huddling a fair distance from the burning pyre, as thick black smoke pushed upward through the midday heat. The wood crackled loudly, pelting glowing pieces as it broke. People stared at the woman in red, no doubt whispering about her disrespectful funeral attire. But after all her years of silence over what her uncle had done, this was her only semblance of retribution, and she found satisfaction in their gossip.
By Stephanie Ramlogan5 years ago in Families
Growing up in Rural Nova Scotia
I was born in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. That’s in eastern Canada for those of you who may not know. I lived in a small community nestled between Lunemburg and another, more progressive town called Bridgewater. They were both small towns. Lunenburg was smaller, but more well known because it was the birthplace of the famous schooner depicted on the Canadian dime: the Bluenose. If you were born there you were a bonafide “Bluenoser”
By Gillian Fraser5 years ago in Families
What is Happiness?
I started reading my third book of the new year. It is called The Book of Joy : Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I am looking forward to completing this book because I am a Christian; however, I agree with a lot of Buddhist concepts. Buddhism is very much Christ-like anyway. These two incredible figures coming together to discuss Joy and ways to achieve it is just another amazing tool to utilize on the journey of bettering myself.
By Samantha Koch5 years ago in Families
Home is Mom
There isn't much to say about Greenbrier, Tennessee. It has one stoplight, a Sonic, and some farmland. There are hundreds of towns exactly like it across the state, heck even the whole country. But going home used to trigger me, as it's also the place where my family nearly cracked after a car accident left my brother in a wheelchair for life.
By Samantha Hearn5 years ago in Families
On The Border
I was born and raised in Miami, a colorful oceanside city which borders the rest of the State of Florida. As a child, I could be found on any given night of the week running the halls of any number of Miami art galleries. If it were midnight on a Tuesday and you saw a 9 year-old sitting at a bar on South Beach, it was likely me. I would drink whatever juice concoctions appealed to me as I tried my best to impress my newly assigned “babysitter”, a model and part-time bartender. With a mother immersed in the social art scene, South Beach was my playground. By middle school, I would skip class and take the train to the beach. As an adult, I would go the beach and my favorite bar, religiously, every Sunday. No matter the weather anywhere else in Miami, it was always sunny at the beach. South Beach is home to a colorfully diverse international community, and yet it is anchored not by the differences of its inhabitants, but their humane similarities. A humans’ primal interest in seeking pleasure was the inspiring breath that gave life to the inhabitants of my first home. No one cared what you did or who you did, as long as you didn’t hurt others and you paid your tab. It is a community of people who respect the individuality of each persons’ unique definition of bliss and your right to follow it.
By Deenewshhkah Ess5 years ago in Families
