Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Families.

Memories Soon to Be Forgotten
On the 21st of December, as I rushed out the front doors of my now deserted dormitory, army duffle of laundry slung over my shoulders, the cold Milwaukee slush sloshing beneath my boots, into my family's old Saturn Vue to catch a ride home for Christmas Break, the last thing on my mind was the possibility that I might lose a loved one. Less than 24 hours later, Ernie Varga went into cardiac arrest for the final time as I drove that same car at unsafe speeds towards Rockford in an attempt to see him before his passing. I didn't make it. The next few days register in my memory like some kind of stereo cassette tape where periodically the right or left channel simply cuts out. I can remember bursts of memory in fine clear detail, the tick of the clock on Ehorn-Adams funeral home wall, the way the mortician's hands moved over the paperwork, the colors of every casket along that wall and their prices. There are other moments in which I hardly remember any sensory input, just emotion, a sort of unstable feeling, as though I'd been standing on a floor which simply ceased to exist, only to reveal another floor an inch or so below it.
By Jim Varga8 years ago in Families
It's the Little Moments in Life...
Growing up I have always heard the phrase “it’s the little moments in life that matter.” It wasn’t until I had Julian that I realized the utter truth of what those moments would mean to my soul.
By Millicent Franco8 years ago in Families
Mom at Fifteen
I grew up in the 80s and 90s in a very dysfunctional kind of way. People just didn't discuss things about your home life or what went on behind closed doors. My folks had quite the hatred towards one another and inevitably it ended the marriage. Not without casualties, unfortunately. My siblings and I had the worst time trying to cope.
By Joanne Hawkins8 years ago in Families
Abuse
It was happening again. I woke up to the sound of loud noises of breaking glass, and it was only 2:00 AM. I slowly sit up and look around my room, feeling mad and irritated. Why does he do this over, and over? I thought, shaking my head. I climb out of bed throwing on a hooded sweatshirt and I head downstairs. When I finally get to the kitchen I see my drunken dad throwing plates, stumbling over his own feet.
By Bella Hoeksema8 years ago in Families
Why Paid Family Leave Is Needed In New York State
"Starting January 1, 2018, New York State's Paid Family Leave provides New Yorker's with job-protected, paid leave to bond with a new child, care for a loved one with a serious health condition or to help relieve family pressures when someone is called to active military service abroad."
By Millington Lockwood8 years ago in Families
The System Is Broken
When I was 15 I fell in love with a total douche bag. (As "in love" as a 15 year old can be.) The fact that he was a total douche bag was part of the appeal back then. I came from an upper middle-class family. We lived in a 5 bedroom house. We even had a library room. Both of my parents have double Master's degrees. I was taught by my snobby mother when I was growing up that no college education meant the person was trash. If we ever went to McDonald's, she would say loudly, "This is where you'll have to work if you don't go to college." Thanks to extensive orthodontia, both my sister and I had gleaming, straight pearly whites.
By Katie Carter8 years ago in Families
The Heck With 'Normal' Parenting!
I have been a mother for more then half my life. I have seen just about everything there is to see and experienced more then my fair share of ups and downs. I keep chugging along knowing that what I do is NOT considered "normal."
By Joanne Hawkins8 years ago in Families
Erased Family
Today is T’s 5th birthday. She will not hear those words from me, her two step sisters E and A, or importantly from her Dad, S. She will not hear those words from us and I fear by now she has forgotten us. We are an alienated family. S is an alienated father.
By Lady X8 years ago in Families
War Stories
They tell me that war changes men, makes them wild. That's only the weak ones, though. He was sad when it was unavoidable, happy when it was ended. A lifetime of harsh realities, defeated by laughter. Memories depart quickly, but I always feel at home there.
By Avi Sato8 years ago in Families
Wait, Worry, Repeat
Technology these days is quite incredible, especially when it comes to pregnancy, infertility and prenatal testing. However, living in a time where this technology can comb through every blood cell and chromosome, can be a blessing and a curse. My husband and I decided that our two rambunctious boys needed some company and opted to try for baby number three. I'm the type of person who can sneeze and get pregnant so this was the easiest part of our journey. That all being said, after having two healthy, fairly easy pregnancies and deliveries this time has been different from the beginning. Now that I'm 35 years old I'm considered a "geriatric pregnancy"... sounds nice doesn't it? Due to this situation, even though I'm a healthy, active, vegetarian mom, I needed a slew of tests to make sure my "high risk pregnancy" was healthy and normal. At 14 weeks along, my high risk OB calls and says that they noticed "a micro deletion on a chromosomal test" and I needed to come in to speak with a genetic counselor. My husband and I were a little worried but not overly concerned. After speaking with the genetic counselor we found out that this "micro deletion" could cause two different serious syndromes in our unborn child. This news was devastating. Not only because the unknown is so scary, but because we had to then wait two long weeks until I could take a more invasive test for 100% accurate results. After the pain and stress of the amniocentesis test, now we are in the other two week waiting period for the results.
By Stephanie Heisler8 years ago in Families
Water
It was an unnecessarily hot Tuesday afternoon. I was babysitting my little brother. Well, my little brother was playing and I was doing other things. One would think that a family with an in-ground pool would have AC, but no, we had fans. My brother ran around the house happily chasing around the kittens.
By Savannah McCain8 years ago in Families
Parenting the Unparentable
Being a parent of gorgeous children is a blessing in its own. Have you ever had that child that is unteachable, or unparentable? Given the idea of having kids is a blessing and a great thing, but where are the parents who have kids that are unteachable? Why don't they come forth and explain the bad sides of parenting? This is the thing, everyone is supposed to recreate and bring forth the next generation and so on and so forth... Blah blah blah... All is good until you come across a child that just doesn't get it at all! A child who since he was 3 years old has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and at 8 years old diagnosed with ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder)... One of those disorders alone is enough to drive a parent crazy. Mind you he has both!! Now with all the school involvement and home teachings you would think a child would get the point of learning new things and being able to understand right from wrong at this point right? Wrong! The unteachable is unthinkable but BAM... There it is right in your face. Failing grade after grade, psychological evaluations, and therapy sessions just doesn't even put a dent in this child's mind. Day after day it's a struggle to even wake up to tackle the day knowing you have a child that refuses to listen, learn, or even remotely act like he loves his mother a tiny bit. The daily dose of, go to your room now, get off your sister, don't talk back to me, slow down, eat your dinner, wash yourself right, brush your teeth correctly, clean your room now, and of course the discipline that follows if he does exactly the opposite of what you told him or does exactly what you told him not to do! It's the struggle of parenting a unparentable child.
By Christina Moxley8 years ago in Families