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Most recently published stories in Families.
To the woman who raised me
She was divorced from an abusive crack addict, a single mother. 2 of her biological children had serious mental health issues, her oldest son schizophrenic, her only daughter bipolar. I remember the one and only time I saw her cry. It wasn’t when her own mother who she’d taken care of all my life had died, it wasn’t when her father had died, it wasn’t when I told her I didn’t want her love but that I wanted my mom. Her tears covered her face after her children tried to kill each other outside our apartment. I remember them (my mother and my uncle) screaming at her that it was her fault their father had become addicted to drugs, that it was her fault he left. My uncle drenched in his own blood because my mother hit him with her van at 30 miles per hour, stood screaming profanities at the woman who did her best to raise him on her own. My mother still in risqué clothing from her exotic dancing job, stood screaming at her mother that she had ruined them, that she alone was the cause of everything wrong in their lives. I could tell by the pain I can still hear in her mourn, that she believed that. My grandmother was a tough woman. She was born from a 14 year old little girl who’d had 7 children total. My grandmother being the oldest diligently strived to assist with the care of all 6 of her siblings. She never heard “you’re beautiful” or “I’m proud of you”. So she never did use those words with any of her children. She told us that life was unfair and that people will likely always take your hard work and genuine nature for granted. She’d quote my favorite Mother Theresa quote telling us to “do it anyway”, and to ” do all things as if your doing them for God”. But she didn't just say those words, she lived by them. She only had 2 friends and each of them refered to her as the best friend they ever had. My grandmother worked as a nurse after she adopted my siblings and I. She worked 3 jobs, took us to Bible study 3 nights a week, ministry once a week, family Bible studies were regular almost daily. We were allowed to talk about how we felt. No matter how embarrassing or scary she would always listen. She never took a dime from either of our parents after she saved us from sexual and physical abuse, even calling the police on her own son even though that broke her heart. She built a home for us and got us out of that ghetto apartment out of the sweat on her brow. And she did it alone. When my mom went to prison I was bitter and I lashed out on her often blaming her just as my mother had. But she held space for me. She was still housing her 2 sons, had rehabilitated 6 children who were told they’d never be able to walk or talk and she was sending money to her daughter in prison. Many times I remember her words of wisdom. Her patience, her resolve to never, ever give up on the people she loves. ”Where there’s life there's hope” she says. I am beyond blessed to have had such an unshakable, powerful, beautiful woman raise me and if I do nothing else right in my life I ”hope” I can show her how proud I am to call her my grandmother, the woman who raised me.
By Tera Summers6 years ago in Families
A girl in a different world.
I was a girl feeling that I was in a different world because everyone I went to school with had a mother and I had a father that I loved but wondering where is mine? I would open my eyes and there she was late night visits and smelled like alcohol, none the less I knew I had a mom. My character was more like my dads fun but yet serious in a way but loved the magical and fun things a girl can do but had no one to do them with I was highly creative and 80s style was my style. My mom did love me she just couldn’t get out her pain and it ruined and tore her apart. I got older and after my dad passed when I was 18 I finally got to hang with my my mom still hard to say mom I called her by her name and she would get mad but I was not used to it! She was such a giver regardless of her life decisions. And after she passed I was angry that I never had a chance to be a kid with a mom a real mom you can ask girly things to but I became a rebel till my dad passed and when she passed I was still feeling empty because my friends would tease me with thier mom. But she was so caring and fun to be around at times when she’s not poring her emotions out or blaming others. I realized. ok dad and mom are gone. I was giving like my mom people took advantage of the pain an took till I had no more to give I said no I’m not ending up like my mom putting myself last made her days get lesser by the day till she was gone I stopped it all I started saying no to what didn’t serve me I started changing and seeing good things are meant for me too, I couldn’t burden myself in not having a mom to do cute things with or get advice. So I was getting closer to being like my mom and didn’t want to point fingers of why I went so low when I did deserve better even though I had nothing else to live for there had to be a reason I was here, yes I didn’t have what others had but I learned to appreciate the little I did have allowing me to feel others pain and be giving to the ones that are in pain like me and not do it because someone is forcing me to give because they think I’m less but I’m not and said thank you mom I learned from you in heaven that I need to care about me because no one will but myself and if I started to love myself enough I would not end up dead young, because people didn’t care how much you gave they took it and left you dry. So she showed me to not give your all when you haven’t given yourself enough!
By Bella Maureen6 years ago in Families
Unwanted & Unloved
My biological mom was an abused teenager who was six and-a-half months pregnant when she gave birth to me. Abused physically, mentally and emotionally by my father, my mom tried to abort me with a wire clothes hanger because she did not want to raise a child who could turn into a monster like her then-husband.
By Eve Austin Powers6 years ago in Families
Superwoman?
Jessi was born into a fairly normal family: a mom, a dad, soon she had a little sister- me. Before Jessi turned seven, our mom died of cancer. Being a little girl without a mother is hard enough, but she also had me. I didn't realize growing up that she had inherited me as a responsibility, but she did. My dad was grieving and trying his best to find a way to stay home and provide for his two daughters, so my sister pretty much took over the roll of mother to me.
By Michelle Schultz6 years ago in Families
Forever alive
Whenever I think about calling you, I still tear up. Taking my phone out, scrolling to your name, just to end up reminding myself that your not going to answer. I feel as if I've been walking around in a fog. Not much time has passed, but I still want to believe that one day you'll call me. We spoke sometimes for hours, just about things happening in the world, family members, things that happened in general, day to day stuff, and your views on them. Although I have been one of few words, you still wanted to hear them. You would ask questions, and maybe throw a few jokes in, just to brighten the mood. No matter how much time we would spend on the phone, it always made me laugh when it was time to get off the phone. You would simply say bye, and hang up. That was just the way you hang up the phone. Anyone that spoke to you, knew that was your thing.
By Takyashilah6 years ago in Families
One of the Angels of this earth
I know a lot of people will write about their moms in this competition, and as much as I’d like to be different and stand out, I just can’t help myself but think of my mother first thing when someone mentions inspiring women. My mother, Ana, had me and my older siblings by the age she was 23. She was born in a small town in Montenegro and had only known how to speak serbian. Life in former yugoslavia was hard and getting a degree, which my mother did, didn’t seem to pay off. She decided she wanted a better future for her kids. While she was taking care of us and saving money my father was in Germany doing some shady business to get money, where he also would later go to jail, which is a stoy of its own. However this story is not about the disappointing men in the world. When my mom was 27 years old, she took me and my siblings and went off to Sweden. She couldn’t speak any english, let alone swedish. She was determined to get a better life for us to the point where she left everything she ever knew in her hometown, her family and friends and without ever traveling she went off to the country where her kids later on in life would call home. The road wasn’t straight and there were many obstacles but my mom never failed being there for us and providing when needed. She came to Sweden speaking no swedish or english, and found 3 jobs which she would constantly work at to be able to provide food and clothes for me and my siblings. She lost her younger sister during our first year in Sweden, and although that broke her heart she kept on fighting for us and moving forward. After our first 3 years in Sweden we were sent back to Montenegro to wait for our visa and had to spend a whole year there living 9 people in my grandmoms place which has 2 bed rooms. My mom never stopped fighting for us and she never gave up even though she didn’t know how the road was going to unfold. She is to this day the strongest, warmest and most stubborn person I know and if I have kids of my own one day I hope I too can be that good of a role model to them as my mother was for me and my siblings. She gave us the best life I could imagine and although we grew up without our dad ai never in my life felt that something was missing. I’ve had clean clothes, food on the table and a roof over my head. Right now I am in Australia and working to be able to save money to buy a ticket for my mom to come here, she has done so much for me that I feel like she would deserve something big back to her.
By Marija Garda6 years ago in Families
