Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
The Mother
This month celebrates something I'm very passionate about: Appreciation for women. There are MANY women in this world I admire, strangers, friends, and family all alike. And today I want to talk about my mother. Actually, I want to talk about all mothers.
By Hope Martin6 years ago in Families
How my Dad became my Bestfriend
Hello readers, my name is Michael St. Peter and I am from a very small town in Northern America. I grew up in a lower middle class home, was a very quiet kid. My mother was a CNA and my Father was in the military, and also worked as an electrician at the time. I had a fair childhood, did okay in school, but I went through something that I believe most can relate to. My parents divorced when I was just 12 years old, I remember feeling angry, sad, and very unsure of what was going on at this point in my life. My mother moved away from our home town to a town 15 miles away where she met an amazing man named Chad, who is now my step father. My dad stayed in our home town, and met a lady named Jeanne. Growing up my dad liked to drink, a lot more than what he could handle. He would get drunk and fight with my mom for hours while I watched. This new girl he met loved to drink, and made his drinking worse. When I was 14 my dad was drinking to the point of alcoholism, he would yell at me whenever I would visit him, get in my face, and all I could do is stand there and take it. I was scared every time I went there to visit fearing that if I said something that he did not want to hear from that he would mentally shoot me down with his yelling. Him and Jeanne got into fights and she was hitting and abusing him on the daily. I still believe to this day he took all of that anger from her out on me, I eventually would start speaking up to him and we got into a couple fights. I felt trapped, and that I could not escape, it got to the point where he was hiding his alcohol in different spots and every time he "used the bathroom" he would come out more and more drunk than before he went in. One night me and my sister were over there for the weekend and he was the drunkest I have ever seen him. He was yelling at me and trying to challenge me to a fight even if I said one word to him, I sat there quite while the onslaught of words and spit hit my face until I had enough. I got up and said "I'm walking out of here and I do not want to see you ever again!" I walked out and ran to a nearby store where I used there phone to call my grandfather to come get me, and after 15 minutes he was there. When he showed up he hugged me, tears dripping down his shirt, he comforted me and said it would be okay and that my father had a lot of learning to do and needed help. I did not see my father for 5 months after that, no contact at all. When it was time to see him again it was awkward, we stared at each other for a solid minute then he asked how I was doing, and I said good. He hugged me for a solid 5 minutes, and said sorry for what he had put me through mentally and physically and said he was getting help and therapy. My father has been sober since June 6th, 2017, our relationship has healed into something beautiful. We talk everyday now and we play disc golf together and do a lot of things together. I love my dad and I always have, I just wanted him to be the father I wanted growing up, and most importantly to be okay and happy. He left his ex girlfriend Jeanne and met a wonderful lady, my step mom Leslie, and she is the greatest thing that has ever happened to him. He is so happy and I am so happy that I have him in my life in such a positive way now. My father is a strong man, he overcame the addiction for his kids, and for everyone that he was toxic to. If anyone out there is struggling with a parent that is addicted to anything, please seek out for help for them, talk to me, talk to someone. There is light at the end of the tunnel and there are happy endings. Live life to the fullest with no regrets or hatred to others and accept everyone, treat people like you would like to be treated and remember if you are suffering from something whether it addiction or mental health there is help for you, seek it, YOU are amazing and life is amazing.
By Michael St Peter6 years ago in Families
Seeking Sanctuary
It's cold. Standing here on this cold, wet night while the bitter raindrops penetrate my skin, I stare at this home. From the outside looking in, it looks nice and warm. Something you would see in a magazine with the window lit up with candles, pictured against this cold frame of the night. How could something that looks so warm and welcoming be so broken?
By Megan Ashlee Niemiec6 years ago in Families
Woman of A NobleBirth
When I think of women who have influenced my life many great and famous Ladies come to my mind, but when it really comes down to it the Women who make me who I am today are my mother, Grandmothers, and Mother-in-law. Each of these women have instilled in me lessons that have helped me develop character and voice.
By Trycia Lino6 years ago in Families
My Mum, who never gives up
I’m writing on behalf of my mum, Julia. I’m using her iPad. I’m sorry. I have her password. She tells me everything. I wanted to tell you a story. When I was born (see above), my Mum gave up her career. She was a Director of Advertising for Hearst UK. But, being married to an ‘Airline Training Captain’ she realised that I needed her constant love, as I had no one to care for me if she wasn’t there. She gave up everything. She loved me so much that nothing else mattered to her. My father was gone a lot. He travelled all around the world and she figured there would be no one there for me. So, she gave me her all. She left her career and is always struggling to find money from the allowance my father gives her. But she doesn’t care. She gives me her best effort, and last pence. In fact, she’s broke. But it doesn’t matter. I never had a school event that she didn’t go to. I always looked to see someone there, and there she was....always smiling and waving me on. Throughout my years at school, I ended up going through a very difficult time. I was bullied about my weight. I was harassed when I came out as Gay. My Mum was always there to protect me, encourage me, and love me. I remember her response to my sexuality; she said, ‘it doesn’t matter who you love, or how you love, as long as you love...if you accept that, I’m always so proud of you’ and I thought back to when I tried to commit suicide and realised, I wanted to live. I fought through my time at school with the message my Mum always told me: Always do what you love, believe your life is precious....and no matter what you choose, I believe in you. Your choices are my choices...because I trust in your heart.’
By Julia Smethurst6 years ago in Families
The Life Of Di
The beginning - Ever since I was little my nan has always been my best friend . She would always encourage me and lift me up whenever I was feeling down . I grew up living with her and my mother as the only child so I spent a lot of my times with her . We always had animals growing up as my nan is an avid animal lover I learned to love them unconditionally too . I grew up with an old dog named Angel who soon became my dog and a cat named Boots . I believe that because I watched the way she treated animals with such kindness and gentleness that I instilled that into my everyday life with not only animals but with the way I treat people .
By Armani Pinto6 years ago in Families
WHY YOU SHOULD MOVE OUT OF YOUR HOMETOWN
My wife and I are planning on moving from Boise to Chicago in the next year. Boise/Meridian is my hometown. I’ve moved away in the past for 1-2 year stints. I had a pretty positive experience growing up in a suburban small town, and being here is being in the height of my comfort zone. The place where you grew up is familiar. You have points of reference to go off of. This makes a person operate in a type of auto-pilot mode. In addition, having the constant input of family members who have certain expectations of you can cloud a persons sense of self. I want to be able to respond to situations outside the context of my hometown familiarity and familial input. Being in a new environment forces you to think in new ways. It’s part of survival. If you don’t have a history somewhere, you are able to discover who you are in an entirely new way. Participating in new activities, is going into uncharted territory. Uncharted territory allows for little to no past data for your brain to input and predict what will happen in the future. This can allow you to more easily stay present and sharp.
By Allaina Bradshaw6 years ago in Families
Leaving
Being able to leave for a year seemed crazy to many people around us. First of all because of the children's school. They will do their 4th, secondary 1 and 3 on the road. what better, in my opinion, to learn without compromises and scheduling conflicts!
By Caroline Brazeau6 years ago in Families
5 Tips to Safely Raise Gentlemen with Work Ethic
Although kids are extremely cute when they are tiny, before you know it, they’ll be as tall as you are or realistically, even taller. Part of raising children is teaching them manners. And these apply to both girls and boys.
By Tony Bleak6 years ago in Families
