Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Families.

Happy Birthday
When my Joey made his transition to Heaven, I was left with unending pain, and a host of "firsts" that provide a mountain of thoughts and tears. Joey left on November 5th, 2019 - I stumbled through Thanksgiving, Christmas was Hell, then New Years, where I spent the entire day in bed crying. January 21st, his 35th birthday.... My heart continued to shatter as I remembered all his birthdays and the moment of his birth. Then came Easter - one of my favorite memories are Easter Sundays with both my boys.... oh how I miss those days.
By Kathleen Elizabeth Comfort-Steinbaecher6 years ago in Families
Role model
As the sky rains fire, the old man turns to the boy. "when the last ball of fire hits theses grounds I will be gone" he said, "I have taught you much in your life and wish to teach you more".
By James Albert Snitgen6 years ago in Families
The great outdoors
This day was incredible just before COVID 19 came along to slow us all down an tuck ourselves away in our safe nest, we took a drive to Bowral stopped for lunch at a local cafe and then took a walk along a walking track along the river, the sun was warm and amazing it was quiet and so peaceful, until on the Walking track we came across a massive brown snake that put us all in a panic.
By Kristie Phelps6 years ago in Families
Life and other things
So. I am new to this. My name is Cyndi. I am a single mom of three young men, two parakeets, a puppy named Honey, and my mom. I am...well I was...a substitute aide for the special needs kids here at the schools. I was unjustly accused of something I didn't do and instead of letting me defend myself I was fired and my career ruined. I loved that job. Loved my kids. Anyway, I am now a sit at homer because I can't go anywhere because I am high risk for the virus. Yay.
By cynthia givens6 years ago in Families
Up, up and away
My mother drives us home after a meal at Duluth's Ground Round family restaurant in her dark orange Volkswagen Beetle, a quirky, tolerable pest still popular in its original form during the mid-1980s. I tightly hold my balloon, primary red like my favorite gum balls and with a long white plastic ribbon. The kind of ribbon I had always seen tied to the belly-button of balloons filled with the venerable lifting gas helium, noble in its lifting effects. This balloon is pumped full by a man in front of the table from a shiny aluminum, cylindrical tank. They tie the balloon to my high chair while my family eats.
By Jennifer6 years ago in Families
Crevices
Six Mommy said your lips are all blue as she bent down and tried to wipe the color off with a wet napkin. Yeah and my teeth hurt a little I said. Daddy said that’s what too much sugar can do to your teeth. Lights flickered and loud music played. It all made me dizzy and I tweaked from the sugar high. We spun on rides too many times and my tummy hurt. I told Daddy that I wasn’t feeling so good. He said let’s get out of here; maybe grab some good dinner. Mommy held my right hand and Daddy held my left hand. They swung me back and forth. I said weeeeee weeeeee like the stupid little piggy. We skipped to a restaurant called Antonio’s. We ate pizza. Italian music played in the restaurant and Daddy and Mommy took me to a spot without tables. We danced. Mommy picked me up and kissed me so many times. I said stop it and laughed. Daddy took me by the arms and spun me around and around. Lots more laughter. The day shouldn’t have ended, but it did.
By Steven Petrella6 years ago in Families
Motherhood in the Media
In a modern world brimming with technology, media is at the forefront of many lives and has the potential to deeply influence mindsets. The messages the media communicates to pregnant and postnatal women increase their likelihood of body image issues, eating disorders, anxiety, postpartum depression, and more. I am studying the negative implications of messages communicated through media to perinatal and postnatal women because I want to find out how it impacts perinatal and postnatal health. This review will disclose the use of female celebrities as standards for physical appearance, the correlation between media consumption and mental health issues, and the need for realism in the media’s portrayal of pregnant and postnatal women.
By Kayla Haase6 years ago in Families
Child's Matter
I wanted to start describing our role as childcare providers, either at home, working in private families or in the public or private sector as practitioners. Both places are not far from being the same, taking in consideration the number of children you work with.
By Hernán Arteaga6 years ago in Families
wondering where to go
It seems as if there's something in my life that does not quite seem right! I feel alone and vulnerable, nothing I ever do is not good enough. It is as though my whole life; I have been told I have to please people. I am one person who has decided to take a different path in life, I have decided to live for me. It took me years to realize I am the only one to make myself happy. I am married with one kid and even that is confusing. I haven't even been able find me; I have focused on everyone else that I don't know who I am anymore. I feel as if I can't trust anyone, it's all little white lies that pile up to make it easier for them to avoid me being upset. My marriage is on the rocks, I'm struggling to be a mom with teen child who is confused about herself. I need to make money; I want to buy a house; Simply put I just want to have a real life. I feel like I missed out on so much, and been controlled, manipulated, given certain ultimatums because someone else decided that this is the way we should live. I feel as if it's like my opinion never mattered ever. I am a woman, so therefore I must do what women do and completely comply with your silent expectations of me!
By Lindsay Woods6 years ago in Families
Whirlwind
“Hand me another tile, Jenny,” my father asks as he repairs an addition on our roof in Hermantown, Minnesota. I am getting ready for a trip to California with my mother and grandmother. I am five years old and my father pays me five dollars for several sessions of work handing him tiles when he needs to nail another one to the roof. A giant satellite dish imposes itself next to our brick and wood home. This is my parents’ second home although technically I lived at their first home in a residential neighborhood of Duluth, near to where my grandmother lives.
By Jennifer6 years ago in Families
Hush Little Babies
Chapter Three I had been working on a novel on my lap top, for about six months, but with the move, the distraction, of being uprooted from New York, and Jeffrey, being Jeffrey, my writing was on the back burner. I decided to see if I could find some sort of work in the town, just to pass the time. At least until I could get back into the rhythm, of writing. I didn’t believe in writer’s block, so, I couldn’t admit, I’d caught it! Writing usually took up a lot of my time. I couldn’t go any further until I had researched some data.
By Suzy Bohi6 years ago in Families
Imagine If Meghan and Harry Had a Reality Show
Imagine if Meghan and Harry had a reality TV show. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be tuning into that. If I could get some kind of "very sorry" gift from the universe for the total mess Coronavirus has left my life in, it would be that Meghan and Harry had started a reality show.
By Grant6 years ago in Families