Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Families.

It’s A Westside Story(Part 1)
Brooklynn Rodriguez was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is 24. Westside has eight siblings; Madison Thomas, the twins; Melisa and Alisa Rodriguez, and Kelly K.“ Well that’s some of our sisters.” Brooklynn is the eldest of her known siblings, but not the oldest of her unknown siblings. Brooklynn has many nicknames including; Westside, Westside Brookye, and Brookye. Westside is a brilliant young woman, and she is more of a family person. Brooklyn has a sense of style. She dresses like a girl and a tomboy, and she’s very outgoing as well as laid back (that’s if you don’t make her mad). Some of her other character traits are that she is VERY nonchalant but quick to get mad rude!
By Cameyhia Powell6 years ago in Families
Relocation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1309468859257452/?ref=share I made the move to Lanzarote along with my husband and four children.
By Naomi Beista6 years ago in Families
The Big Brother and the Bully
I was 11 years old when I became a brother. My parents second child was my sister Rachel. I was so happy when informed of her birth, because all the kids in my neighborhood had brothers and sisters. It would get pretty lonely being an only child. so having a sibling was all I ever wanted. At 13 we moved to another neighborhood on the better side of town, and my mother was pregnant with her third child, Raleigh. Let me tell you this kid was tough. When I was in high school and would bring a friend to my house the first thing he would do was punch them right in the nuts, laugh, and run out of the room. This is when he was about three. Once when he was five a friend of mine hoisted him up and pretended he was going to put him on the roof, and Raleigh hauled off and slapped the shit out of him, leaving a small hand print on his face.
By Shawn Conwell6 years ago in Families
What the F is wrong with you?!
What the F is wrong with you?! How many times have you’ve heard that in YOUR life?! I can honestly say that question was asked following 90% of my life choices/decisions or simply just after absolutely anything I do..EVER! I never realized that the people I love could cause me so much pain. Endless nights I’d lay awake wondering, what’s wrong with me? Am I really this terrible? It truly does a lot to your self esteem growing up. Parents, care givers, elders etc. Please be aware of the things you’re telling/saying to our youth as they are our future! I can’t stress enough how much this affects a persons emotional and physical well-being. Personally, I feel it’s beneficial to everyone in society, all around the world to boost each other up rather than tearing each other down. Why bring humans into the world if we cannot love them, teach them and nurture them the way we would want others to do for us? A lot of our qualities are passed on to us through habit. We treat others the way we see our role models treating others. It was only in my adult life that I knew it was utterly and disgustingly wrong to laugh at other misfortunes. I truly didn’t know better. I thrived off of seeing other people fail, to see them beneath me. My family enjoys other people suffering. They have to, other wise they wouldn’t be the way they are!
By Kay Lala 6 years ago in Families
Return to Normal
I am almost eighteen when I return to the US after nearly a full year as an exchange student in France. My father picks me up at JFK airport, driving me around Queens and Long Island without specifying his intent. We visit Oyster Bay. But we do not leave the car, except when we look for the bookstore so that I can run in for something to read. On this same day, we drive back from the island up toward Vermont. He takes me through Montpelier, silently driving on our way to Canada. After crossing the northern border, my father insists I draw out my own cash from what is left of my grandmother's small inheritance. We stop at a bank, at a gas station and anywhere we can find. As usual, he stays in the car while I carry on my efforts at his whim. We rarely leave the car on our trips, only stopping for fast food or at gas stations. This is how my father travels through time. In perfect Parisian French, I ask a stranger for a distributeur de billets—an automatic teller machine, which no one seems to have in this land—or at least will not admit to understanding. Increasingly sweaty under a hot summer sun, a lady takes pity on me in my search, "Ah! Vous avez besoin d'un A-T-M." You need an ATM. Yes, in fact, I was looking in vain for an ATM.
By Jennifer6 years ago in Families
“Is it Okay?”
A mere apology from this world will never be enough for what it has done to you. You went through an immense amount of pain of which only a pinch of was known of.
By Glen Coco 6 years ago in Families
Excerpt 2: Beneath The Mushroom Cap
6am 8th December 2016 The morning comes, and we awake to an atypical continental. There is dragon fruit, watermelon, and a specification Laden omelette. Something which seems a little over the top, until they make you exactly what you asked, and it envelops me. That in this culture what you ask for, you get. In Britain I guess the best we have is to ask for an omelette and see what arrives, so much so that even the choice of variability in Britain constitutes as a favour and not within the rights of service.
By S R Gurney6 years ago in Families
Life as a Foster Child
Life as a foster child is hard some people just don't understand our life stories. Growing up people would always ask "where is your mommy and daddy" I would shut down because I knew from my heart that my daddy left mes and my brothers with our mommy, she really didn't take of our needs at all. I was six years old when my grandpa decided to call Child Protective Service (CPS) my two younger brothers and I went to foster care because our grandpa couldn't take care of us anymore due to his health problems, he wanted us to have a better life / future. As years went by I stopped visiting my brothers and my mother, but while in foster care some foster parents do not care about the child so they start beating the child as a way to be discipline but that never helps because they've been abused before by their own parents. As a young child you seem as though you don't have a voice to tell them to stop and/ or have the strength to fight back, at thirteen I was able to fight back from the abuse but at the time I was already adopted by then but she decided to put me back in the system and from then on I've been in foster care. I use to be in a group home that held right girls in Baltimore city life there wasn't as easy but I made it through til I was eighteen, from there I went to two foster home before my nineteen birthday. my first foster home was in Howard County, MD I had my own room in which I enjoyed til I found out that I had to move before it was Christmas because the lady's eldest son was coming home from jail and there wasn't an extra bedroom for me. I could have stayed but she didn't want him sleeping on the couch. My second foster home was in Owing Mills, MD I was supposed to be there temporary but decided to stay longer I was there for two years but before my twentieth birthday I had a right with my roommate over something stupid. I ended up leaving because I was going to be in a independent living program through the Department of Social Service before I started Community College, I'll be moving in a week or so which I'm happy about because it gives me a chance to be independent.
By Faith DesNoyer6 years ago in Families
Life after a loved one's death
It is tough to want to continue to live once you’ve lost someone. Moving forward is difficult. Existing in a world where that person is not present is hard. All you want to do is to go back. Go back and relive all the memories with that person. Tell this person repeatedly about how much you love them and appreciate them in your life. Hold them tight. Don’t let them away from your sight ever. And spend every single moment you can with them. Because once they are gone, life becomes a nightmare, and finding the motivation to move on is hard.
By map6 years ago in Families
How to Take Care of Elderly Family Members Remotely
We often have to relocate or leave our homes for a longer duration for our work. However, moving away from our homes sometimes means moving away from the family. While the younger members of the family don't have to worry about anything in this scenario, the elderly members need special care in our absence. One of the best ways to take care of the elderly while staying away from home is through a remote monitoring system.
By Shane Mathew6 years ago in Families
The Neverending Battle
Little eyes slowly opening to whispers from all around, curled between warm and cosy bodies, squinting at panic struck faces, whispering franticly. Stretching between 6 little bodies with huge paws and their mom, don’t know what the turmoil is all about, laying here warm and save between my friends.
By Gordon B 6 years ago in Families
Sweetheart Rock
You can’t tell, by looking at the photo, but let’s just say, I am glad my iPhone was waterproof. This rock is a symbol of my first Thanksgiving, with my daughter and parents. While trying to figure out what to do first on our visit. We chose going crabbing. My daughter said, “yes, I love crab!”My dad was telling us, he knew a great spot off a peir in Fontana, California.
By Saroyan Coles6 years ago in Families