fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our family dynamics, traditions, and if there's such thing as a 'perfect family.'
Back to Basics
So its September time, which usually means that Summer is over and its back to basics once again. Schools are starting up once again. There is a school of thought going around here in Northern Ireland where we have had a year of being at home and isolation and that by now, we know enough now about the virus, that its time enough that we just get on with it.
By Andrew Campbell4 years ago in Families
Fruits of Life
I remember now it was about fifty years ago today, it was a beautiful hot summer day in August. I wanted to spend time with the love of my life, Mari. We walked and talked holding hands like two teenagers on a very first date. The heat was getting unbearable we needed to find some shade, so from a distance, we saw a beautiful and shapely pear tree perfect to give us some shade. We talked for hours under that pear tree. We lost track of time just talking about life, love, and our future. Mari was just 18 years old and I was 20. Mari wished that someday she would be married with 3 children living overseas. We were a perfect match. We could finish each other's sentences without even trying. Mari wanted to have three children but I only wanted a boy and a girl. She laughed and we both smiled and we agreed on three children. Many years passed and we never got married, she went off to college in Paris. I couldn't tell her don't go, it was a dream of hers. Who was I to kill her dreams, she spoke fluent french so Mari was in heaven. We both tried to keep in touch but our distance between us was not helping. On few occasions, we tried to get together for our birthdays, and all the major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We tried talking on the phone, but those phone bills really added up over time. We wrote many letters of passion and how much we missed each other. But as you have it time and the distance wasn't on our side. Four years passed, and it was time for our school's graduation, but she wanted to stay in Paris. Again how could I tell her no, she loved Paris and all its culture and the food, the food was all Mari talked about. I was offered a big job here in my hometown of Boston. I couldn't pass this job offer up, they even gave me a signing bonus. I told Mari, and she didn't want me to turn it down and she made it clear that she was not moving back to Boston anytime soon. We still kept in touch, but the letters came very few over the years. Even on our birthdays and major holidays, we didn't get together. I was seeing somebody but not serious until I found out that Mari was seeing someone else too. We tried to be faithful for many years, even my close friends said why. I told them I was in love with Mari. But they all said I was a fool for wasting my time and hers as well. We both knew it, but I guess we both were in denial. One day I received that letter that changed everything, she said she was getting married. I nearly fainted from the blood rushing out of my head. But I knew this day would come eventually, we both knew it. I wanted Mari to be happy and she was. Although I dated for a while, my heart was still for Mari. I couldn't let her go, but I knew in my heart I had to. Mari's big wedding was to take place in Paris, how romantic was that. I couldn't believe it my Mari was getting married and it wasn't me. How painful was that, I tried to keep myself busy the week of the wedding trying not to think about losing Mari forever. My heart was broken, and I didn't know what to do, we had plans to be married and have our three kids. How did we get to this point in our lives when we had so much magic together, yes Mari and I had magic in every way. But I knew I had to let her go despite my love for her. My two sisters said I should have gone to Paris many years ago. Tell her how much I love her and asked for her hand in marriage. I guess I was afraid of making that commitment still so young myself. I guess it was not meant to be my Mari was getting married. Many years passed and she had her first child and then two more children came a few more years after that. I never married, I came close but never went the distance. I guess I am an old fool, no wife and no children. Life seemed to just pass me by and I can't believe it's been fifty years ago today. I sometimes sit underneath that old pear tree and often think of my Mari. I wished I had asked Mari to marry me many years ago. But I didn't and I regret that to this day. Thank you Mari for the memories and the love we shared. I'm glad all your dreams came true and I'll always love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
By Kevin Wesley Goodson4 years ago in Families
The Other Side Of Defeat
During the 13th century, tensions were escalating between Scotland and England over territory. A lone wounded soldier travels back to London on his Royal Steed at a slow walking pace. He must, in hast, report back to King John of England.
By Graeme Waddell4 years ago in Families
How Violence Begins
There is an epidemic that starts and appears hidden. It is the trauma that makes a troubled child into a criminal. This has remained unknown and yet to be discovered. I believe the epidemic of a troubled child starts from the womb. All the violence that the mother goes through as the baby is inside of her. The child may feel and hear while inside the mother’s womb. They begin to learn violence at an early age and reciprocate that violence as a young child. The parents have to recognize the violence and seek counseling from pediatricians and psychologists. It has to be constructive advice that will curb the child’s learning stance because learning is the key to breaking their road of violence. Corporate punishment is swift but it has to be repetitive and a lesson must be learned with the punishment. A parent must keep their child busy in doing something good. They must give them something inspiring to do and watch. Children at a young age want to learn about themselves and the world. They are afraid of many things besides death. And they do things because they don’t know right from wrong or wrong from right. Another issue is their body changing quickly, children can’t keep up with their body changes and sometimes they don’t know what changes but they feel different. Parents have to explain to them what changes and why they are changing. Change can cause aggression. Having a new brother or sister? Missing an old toy? Being treated differently? These are some of the changes that affect a child’s growth. Parents have to keep re-introducing their children to change and show them that it is okay and natural. They must show them that the world is full of changes and what to accept because not every change is good. It has been studied that boys' milestone change is when their balls dropped no later than age 6. Most boys become aggressive and devious. They begin a life of crime and start taking whatever they want. They begin wandering and ignoring and even fighting their parents. They begin attacking their siblings. It is like their body and mind are in outrage because they are growing up and changing. Some boys don’t go this extreme until puberty starts and some are in the middle of puberty. The way to stop this is to spend time with the child and try to understand their world. You must have meaningful fireside chats about their behavior and you must coordinate your response with a direct punishment. Even if you have to begin showing the punishment for bad behavior and set timeframes of when the child ought to be back home, no parenting is perfect. It’s a give-and-take relationship if the parent is giving more and receiving less respect then give less for less. Eventually, the child is going to ask for more and then you can make them earn their place in the world. Girls start puberty early around age 9 and that is when they may become devious and divisive. Girls require the freedom of owning things while boys require the freedom of doing things. And this may vary with genes and parenting, you must show them that you can be fearless and strong. And let them know who rules the house because when parents give up authority, their child gladly takes the place and will rule the household. Parents must never give up that much authority, a strong hand does not have to be stern all the time. It can be swift with judgment and concentrating on responsibility and accountability. It has been recommended that teaching boys about strength and introducing them to exercising and sports can dramatically change their perspective and strengthen their manhood. For example, they can start from watching television and listening on the radio to playing with siblings and friends to actively playing in school sports. It has been recommended that teaching girls about beauty and introducing them to role models can dramatically change their perspectives and womanhood. For example, that represents the woman you want them to become and have them imitate the smart part of them. Then the vice versa training, where boys get introduced to beauty and girls get to introduced to strength, girls and boys need to know that they will become women and men having mates and changing the world together. Hopefully, this helps end the epidemic in society. As we continually materialize. We must not forget every place at the table of society. We must forge a new generation of changers, world changers from the beginning. And they don’t all have to be geniuses, they just have to be themselves and make a difference in the lives of their society.
By Distinguished Honorary Alumni Dr. Matthew Primous4 years ago in Families
Thursday Flames
It was like every other, typical Thursday morning, the day the incident happened; my family, consisting of myself, my sister, my mother and my father, all woke up to the radio playing pop music at 7am. My father went to make breakfast as my mother, sister and I all got ourselves washed and dressed for the day ahead. As father called us to eat breakfast as a family, I had just finished pulling up my wavy auburn, waist length hair into a high ponytail. Myself and my mother, who was wearing a black knee length skirt suit and her long black hair in a tight bun at the back of her head, came down the stairs first, and sat opposite one another at the table, quickly followed by my sister, who had her stick straight auburn, shoulder length hair pushed back with an alice band, who sat next to our mother and we all began to eat and enjoy our pancakes and chocolate strawberry milkshakes that father had prepared for us, the same as every Thursday morning.
By Bree-Amethyst S G-M4 years ago in Families
RAKSHA BANDHAN
RAKSHA BANDHAN - it's not just a festival, it's a bond of emotions between brothers and sisters, it's a bond of protection, obligation, and care. Sisters tie a Rakhi on the wrist of brothers and pray to God for their protection, brothers take the responsibility of their care and life long support.
By Nira Kumari4 years ago in Families
He Gave Us Comfort Even After Death
All lives end. They must. It's part of the cycle of life. But that doesn't mean we like it, or accept it. Losing people is hard. It never gets easier. Not even when you know it's coming. It's hard to say which is more cruel, sudden loss, or the known terminal spiral to death.
By Pam Reeder4 years ago in Families
The Long Thaw
At first, Collin's body felt rigid, as if he was suddenly thrust through by a frozen rapier. Gentle sunrays that once penetrated the darkness of the water gradually dissipated from his sight, and as the glacial water enveloped him, he plummeted deeper, helplessly, ensnared by its gelid embrace.
By Nollie McCain4 years ago in Families
