grandparents
Becoming a grandparent makes getting older something to look forward to - all the fun of parenting, without the hassle.
To the woman who raised me
She was divorced from an abusive crack addict, a single mother. 2 of her biological children had serious mental health issues, her oldest son schizophrenic, her only daughter bipolar. I remember the one and only time I saw her cry. It wasn’t when her own mother who she’d taken care of all my life had died, it wasn’t when her father had died, it wasn’t when I told her I didn’t want her love but that I wanted my mom. Her tears covered her face after her children tried to kill each other outside our apartment. I remember them (my mother and my uncle) screaming at her that it was her fault their father had become addicted to drugs, that it was her fault he left. My uncle drenched in his own blood because my mother hit him with her van at 30 miles per hour, stood screaming profanities at the woman who did her best to raise him on her own. My mother still in risqué clothing from her exotic dancing job, stood screaming at her mother that she had ruined them, that she alone was the cause of everything wrong in their lives. I could tell by the pain I can still hear in her mourn, that she believed that. My grandmother was a tough woman. She was born from a 14 year old little girl who’d had 7 children total. My grandmother being the oldest diligently strived to assist with the care of all 6 of her siblings. She never heard “you’re beautiful” or “I’m proud of you”. So she never did use those words with any of her children. She told us that life was unfair and that people will likely always take your hard work and genuine nature for granted. She’d quote my favorite Mother Theresa quote telling us to “do it anyway”, and to ” do all things as if your doing them for God”. But she didn't just say those words, she lived by them. She only had 2 friends and each of them refered to her as the best friend they ever had. My grandmother worked as a nurse after she adopted my siblings and I. She worked 3 jobs, took us to Bible study 3 nights a week, ministry once a week, family Bible studies were regular almost daily. We were allowed to talk about how we felt. No matter how embarrassing or scary she would always listen. She never took a dime from either of our parents after she saved us from sexual and physical abuse, even calling the police on her own son even though that broke her heart. She built a home for us and got us out of that ghetto apartment out of the sweat on her brow. And she did it alone. When my mom went to prison I was bitter and I lashed out on her often blaming her just as my mother had. But she held space for me. She was still housing her 2 sons, had rehabilitated 6 children who were told they’d never be able to walk or talk and she was sending money to her daughter in prison. Many times I remember her words of wisdom. Her patience, her resolve to never, ever give up on the people she loves. ”Where there’s life there's hope” she says. I am beyond blessed to have had such an unshakable, powerful, beautiful woman raise me and if I do nothing else right in my life I ”hope” I can show her how proud I am to call her my grandmother, the woman who raised me.
By Tera Summers6 years ago in Families
Forever alive
Whenever I think about calling you, I still tear up. Taking my phone out, scrolling to your name, just to end up reminding myself that your not going to answer. I feel as if I've been walking around in a fog. Not much time has passed, but I still want to believe that one day you'll call me. We spoke sometimes for hours, just about things happening in the world, family members, things that happened in general, day to day stuff, and your views on them. Although I have been one of few words, you still wanted to hear them. You would ask questions, and maybe throw a few jokes in, just to brighten the mood. No matter how much time we would spend on the phone, it always made me laugh when it was time to get off the phone. You would simply say bye, and hang up. That was just the way you hang up the phone. Anyone that spoke to you, knew that was your thing.
By Takyashilah6 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
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
My saving grace...
so my grandma is the woman who has inspired me to do great things. She is my bestfriend whom I tell all my problems to, what I did wrong, my goals, my thoughts/feelings, basically everything. So let me just start on tell you about her. She’s the sweets and kind hearted lady you’ll ever meet. She’s loves everyone and trys to help out everyone as much as she can even if she doesn’t know them at all. She’s the best listener, even if she has other opinions she’ll always listen. She has picked me up when I was going through hard times, when I wanted to end it all. She taught me how to keep my head up above the clouds, reach for my goals even if I feel as if they were too hard to get too. She has lifted my spirits and others in time of sadness. She is the strongest woman, she has stepped in front of guns, been threatened, had her cars set on fire, shot at, and still stayed kind and gave money to people even if she didn’t have it, fed my friends and took them in because they didn’t have food or anywhere to stay. She’s my superhero I’ve never seen someone so empowering her mind is beautiful as she is. She never judges me, tells me the truth, she’s my mom even if she didn’t give birth to me. She’s helped me through so much even when my mom kicked me out, let her boyfriend talk shit to me, abuse and damage me emotionally. She was right there to the rescue to help me telling me to day the good days with the bad. It’s only a bad day not a bad life, just take it day by day it’ll get better and it has because she was there loving me. Even if she couldn’t be there I could call her and rant to her telling her how I’m feeling, the best listener who keeps my secrets, the one I trust the most. I probably wouldn’t be here without her, she makes me laugh, such a goofy lady, always smiling and laughing. Going out her way to help and inspire others. She’s a lady who works for a school deals with kids who are so rude to her, helps them out, keeps them out of trouble and gives the most chances to everyone after doing her wrong. So to me she’s the woman that imspires me that through it all, the ups and downs, the good and bad days, all the crappy things that happen in life, to always stay happy and positive and good things will come in time.
By Pearly Ayon6 years ago in Families
I Remember HER
I remember the way she rolled her hair into a perfect low bun ready for the days work. I remember her slightly coarse and callused hand as we walked together. I remember the lines on her forehead when she was cross or upset because I didn’t come back home in time for lunch. These are my memories, senses and lingering moments of the woman who continues to inspire me everyday.
By Daff Zarco6 years ago in Families
Death in Dreams
Death in dreams is said to be a symbol that something in your life is changing or ending. Or is it? Or is it our subconscious missing our loved ones and we are crying out that we miss them? Symbols in dreams is one of those unexplained mysteries in life that only us our selves can answer. We all go though our personal experiences and dream about family members, friends, places that we used to visit when we are children and unusual bizarre fantasy worlds made up in our heads. The dream world is a fantastic place to be. Facing dead people in our dreams opens up a whole new world and lets us visit our old friends and familes, we know that they are happy and laid to rest.
By Sara Sparrow6 years ago in Families
Meant To Stay Hid By SYML
It was in August before my junior year started in high school. My mother got a call from my Aunt that said " Grandma has collapsed from a stroke" I was in utter disbelief. Denial even. I kept saying to myself " Oh, she's fine! I highly doubt a stroke would take her down!" My mother immediately left the house to the hospital. I slept peacefully that night thinking that she is perfectly fine. The next day my sisters and I went to the hospital to visit her. walking into her room slowed time. Everything felt unrealistic, I see my aunt standing next to a hospital bed. Next I see my grandma, laying down eyes barely open until she sees us all. She awe's I expected to hear her voice tell us that shes perfectly fine. Nothing, she only awe's and looks at us with her eyes wide open. She can't speak nor move anything besides her left arm. Devastated I fake being strong for my family, hoping that no emotion gives my family support. That night that I came home crying silently I noticed one of my favorite musicians SYML came out with a new song. "Meant To Stay Hid" is a personal song about loss. Its that tangible and uncomfortable whole-body feeling that someone is gone. It's the reality that our memory of them will fade and change. But it's also the beautiful, yet unreasonable, hope that we will see them again" SYML says in the end of his lyric video of the song. I knew right then and there my grandma was lost. She will never return to the strong adventurous woman that was, with me on my day of birth. Day after day during school I would visit her in the hospital or in rehabilitation/ nursery home for elders. I would listen to the song every time we approached where she was staying. My family realized we had to clean out her home and take whatever we wanted and give away the place I basically grew up in, without her there to greet me and hug me whenever I would walk in her home. Finding notes and papers that were meant to stay hid from my eyes. millions of pictures of my dead father in what was his room. I and my mother mainly cleaned the house out having our laughs and cries at what she kept. For seven months I missed school on and off to visit her and cleaning out her house. I fell in a deep depression and failed many of my classes. She was an empty shell of someone I dearly loved. She cried non stop at times while I was there. In a diaper that had to be changed by the nurses ever so often. The day that my grandmother passed I visited her one last time. Held her hand saying my goodbyes and how much I love her even though she was barely responsive. That day she didn't open her eyes at all but only at me once. Her crystal blue eyes softly looked at me before closing forever. My grandmother lived for seven months only hearing her say " hi" and "yeah" to me once in all those days. We had a beautiful celebration of life for her at her favorite gardens in The Morton Arboretum. I made every flower arrangements for her with her favorite flowers. Hoping it would makeup for the times I didn't spend with her while she was well. Meant To Stay Hid put all my emotions and thoughts in my head in the most beautiful way possible. Everyday I wish I could see her face once more and hear her voice again.
By Lindsey Pietras6 years ago in Families
A Cathartic Adventure For The Soul
Sometimes leaving behind your routine and exploring the world is the catharsis you need to heal. My family originates from the main island in the Azores, Sao Miguel. We are a loud, passionate, and exuberant Portuguese family that finds joy in the beauty around us and in the connections we have to the world. We had always talked about traveling to the Azores together and attempted some plans, but being a large group full of conflicting schedules-it never panned out.
By Bee Hope Lavallee6 years ago in Families
