extended family
All about how to stay connected, strengthen ties and talk politics with your big, happy extended family.
A Portrait of My Grandparents' Home
You pull up in front of a white paneled home. Its lawn has long since fallen into disarray, weeds poking out of what appears to be every gap in the grass. A statue of Mary, beheaded by some rowdy teenagers and unreplaced, sits at the foot of a set of rotting wooden stairs leading up to a heavy white and green door. Entering there, you step onto what was once a sun porch, but has now become a cluttered assortment of random items that have accumulated there over the years. Though flanked with wide windows, the room is always cold when you visit, the sunlight filtering in doing nothing to chase away the chill of the brisk winter wind.
By Robin Laurinec4 years ago in Families
This Is Me
When I was young, I had lost my parents. My mom passed when I was 6 and my dad passed when I was 7. At that time, my brother and I had moved in with my then 36-year-old cousin who happened to have 2 kids of her own. The first few years were good until I hit the age of 12 when my cousin had pulled me around the house by my hair. The hatred and dislike took off from there. She blamed me for everything and always assumed I was lying about everything because of the guys she's dated in the past always did that. She never gave me space nor even let me talk. Whenever I would get into trouble, she would always change the story of how I got in trouble to whoever she told. She didn't care about me and what I thought. I've stood up to her multiple times and she would always slap me across the face for doing so. She would always believe I was talking back to her when I never did. Her husband was the same way. He would always hit me whenever I would "talk back" but all I did was stick up for myself to them since they never listened to anyone before.
By Patricia Meredith4 years ago in Families
My Extended Family Was Once Large
Two of my first cousins passed away in sixteen days. They were sisters and were very close to one another. One of these cousins recently retired from the teaching profession and looked forward to a life of enjoyment after 30 years of service in the field of education. The other enjoyed being a mother and took pride in her adult children. Perhaps the second sister who was left behind died of a broken heart. I guess no family member will ever know.
By Dr Deborah M Vereen4 years ago in Families
Who Is Your Family?
Watching news reports as tributes rolled in upon the death of a legendary local TV newsman made me think of how many families or communities we each probably belong to. This is especially true if there has been estrangement from blood or marriage relationships and we might fear we belong nowhere.
By Shirley Ann Parker4 years ago in Families
Charley and me
CHARLEY AND ME He was an old man at the age of two hundred and thirty-three: well, that’s what we all thought. We were only teens, between nine and thirteen. Our future was something we never worried about. Set in our ways at such a youthful age, thinking that we knew more than everyone else.
By Diana Coor4 years ago in Families
