Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
For My #girldad
In the wake of the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others this past week, many people have been sharing what Kobe meant to them. I would not necessarily consider myself a big basketball fan, but how could I not be a Kobe fan? His reach extended far beyond the court. I knew I wanted to write something to express how I feel and how I have been processing these losses, and I have been agonizing over what that might be for days. Nothing I, or most other people could write could do justice to Kobe’s legacy or the impact his daughter was already beginning to make on the sports world. Although I've put a lot of time and effort into drafting multiple other write-ups, everything I thought of just did not seem good enough.
By Kristyna Reedon6 years ago in Families
I'm 23 years old and caring for my 14 year old sister
My partner and I have recently become the guardian of my younger sister who is 14 years old. She came to live with my partner and I, 4 months ago, bear in mind we only live in a 1 bedroom flat. There was a lot to deal with at the time and so many emotions where high, she was dealing with the feeling of not being wanted by her own family. She at the time who was 13 years old had a lot of angry and hate towards certain people in her life. She felt unwanted and unloved, which breaks my heart to even think that she thought that.
By Lauren Rose6 years ago in Families
5 Fun Winter Activities for Families
Does your family have a case of the winter blahs? Just because the weather is cold doesn't mean that you can't get outside and have fun. In fact, there are activities that you can only do during the winter when the snow falls and the ice forms.
By Paisley Hansen6 years ago in Families
Attachment Issues
“What cannot be communicated to the [m]other cannot be communicated to the self.” ― John Bowlby Growing up, I never really had anyone to confide in. No one to sort of cling to. I had parents, but they split up when I was little. My mum was an alcoholic, so I could never really tell her anything. Any time I tried, she was more interested in something else, or she’d get paranoid and my life would be hell for a while. My dad can’t deal with emotions. He’s pretty much a robot. And a lot of the time, I like that, because I hate overly emotional people, but when I need someone, it sucks.
By Rebecca Smith6 years ago in Families
The Flowers
The flowers were wilted. It was the first thing she noticed. There was a side table to the left. Just inside the door. “Come in and I’ll make some tea”. The words seemed sincere but the look on her face said otherwise. Did she really want me to be there? Am I actually welcome or was this just the “pleasantries” that Momma had warned me about when someone doesn’t really want you around but just allows you to take up space. Sonya didn’t want that. She didn’t want to be that girl. And yet... she was that girl.
By Kia McKinney6 years ago in Families
Catalena
This is my beautiful niece Catalena. She was born in 2013, and she has Down’s syndrome. To me she is priceless. She had a heart condition. We didn’t know if she’d make it. It was terrifying. My sister was amazing staying by her side through all the surgeries.
By Quinn Bytheway6 years ago in Families
A Rose for Your Pocket
How can one celebrate Mother's Day? Perhaps it starts with a sudden notification from the phone's Calendar. One awakes one early morning, rushing to work, and in between the commute, seeing that May 12th is Mother's Day. The promotions come in. The planning phase starts with what gifts to buy, where to have a fantastic dinner with one's mother, or perhaps a short vacation to a tropical island.
By Thanh Dinh6 years ago in Families
Voiceforothers
Unless you’ve walked in the shoes of a caregivers of patients with brain disorders, you can never truly relate to this journey. This journey is really about the reality world of these patients. It’s about speaking Alzheimer’s. It’s about discerning the language of the patient with dementia. It’s about understanding, that this disease is so much harder on the patients than you can even imagine. Sure, caregivers have struggles but we are blessed to have sound and healthy minds. Imagine for a moment, listening to gibberish in your mind telling you a million things at one time. Imagine being disoriented, unbalanced trying to figure out what’s going on in your head and trying to figure out why you cannot explain what’s happening to you, when you know something isn’t right. Imagine being frightened, wanting someone to understand you, help you, protect you but you can’t bring yourself to trust anyone because you don’t recognize trust and don’t know how to ask for help.
By Patricia Stone6 years ago in Families
When you doubt where you came from
I remember being five years old. Seeing my parents for the first time.My mother was white-skinned with long dark brown hair. My dad was brown-skinned tall, dark and handsome. He was a Billy Dee look- alike.My eyes opened like I had been asleep. To my mom singing in the kitchen and cooking dinner while my dad walked around with a beer in his hand. They seemed happy. My birth was the first for our family. So I'm the oldest grandchild. My younger brother is four years younger than me. I took a look at my parents that day and wondered why I had blonde hair and brown eyes? My brother and I both, where am I from I thought to myself?
By Rhonda Tatefrost6 years ago in Families
