grief
Losing a family member is one of the most traumatic life events; Families must support one another to endure the five stages of grief and get through it together.
Dad's Garden
She hadn’t known it then, but it would be her last conversation Dad. He wasn’t old or unhealthy, there was no reason to believe he’d be gone so quickly, so permanently. There were brief moments where she almost felt lucky. Lucky because their last conversation hadn’t been some dramatic fight, like in the movies, with infamous last words that would hang in the air forever, like forgotten laundry on a clothesline. But most of the time, she just felt heartbroken and lost inside herself.
By RYLEE CELLA4 years ago in Families
Pick Me
I was a lone little marigold wilting in my pot. “Please, please someone take me home” I thought as person after person walked by me. Then it happened. The bluest little eyes looking at me. “Mom, this one looks sad. Can I take it home?” The little girl with her crooked pigtails and mismatched flip flops said.
By Micah G Bingham4 years ago in Families
The Red Silk-Cotton Tree
The land where the young lady once lived was next to a river. Like thousands of other Vietnamese rivers, it had two seasons. When the weather was colder and, the sky turned pale, the water silted up and was covered in an opaque red film. When the sun returned, the ground turned piping hot with pollen in the air, and the river became as lucid and green as ancient translucent jade. The other side of the river was where the young lady attended school. An old bamboo bridge was across the river. The bridge was only big enough for a motorbike to pass through at a time. When the girl was ten, a storm destroyed the bridge into pieces. The villagers had to evacuate to the higher hills and mountain jungles for refuge. Later, three new ferry stations were built along the riverbanks for transportation to the city.
By Thai Huynh4 years ago in Families
Dusting off the skates
The frozen pond, my safe place, my place to search my soul, find answers hidden deep within. When I was a child, my dad would wake up at 6:00 am to bring me to the rink to skate. I could still hear his voice, smell the coffee, see his bright eyes smiling at me. He always smiled with his eyes. I felt special, safe, and loved. He would sip his coffee while I warmed up with two of my friends, stretch, do laps until the shriek of the whistle would blow for each of our skating lessons. My skating teacher was a legend, she won a gold medal in the Olympics many years ago. She was tough, she expected us to give 100% to each lesson and push us to the brink.
By Leslie Strom4 years ago in Families
A Full Heart
There’s a saying out there that goes, “Fathers are supposed to raise their sons, but love their daughters,” and it often plays out that way. Fathers are typically more stern with their boys because society teaches us to “raise men” Fathers are often depicted as being more loving and protective of their daughters, or at least that’s how it’s portrayed in movies and television. Parenting is supposed to be at least a two-party endeavor, but that doesn’t always happen. But even out of the darkest situation, the light will always shine through.
By Kawan Glover4 years ago in Families
Just Another Run Away Teen
The fog is so thick that I could not tell what surrounded me. Was I in a forest? A cliff? Would the next step I took plunge me into death? Even as I walk nothing becomes clear. The ground beneath my feet is dry and I can see tiny pebbles that my sneakered feet press into the dirt that makes a small gravely sound.
By Jessica Kohlgraf4 years ago in Families
