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.
Banana Pudding
“Papa’s making banana pudding.” My cousin whirls into the back room, shouting. Everything pauses as all the children realize what has been said. Papa is known for three things: his cigarettes, his quiet demeanor, and having the best banana pudding in all of Ohio. Little bellies can barely contain themselves. We’re too young to comprehend how sick Papa is. All we understand is that he’s cooking. Our mouths begin to water as we pile out of the room and rush to the kitchen in hopes of getting the mixing bowl to devour. Excitement wells within my ten-year-old heart.
By Sydney Anderson5 years ago in Families
Writing for a Friend
The coffee did not aromatize our home the same way it did before – the way it had done for over a decade. It was the same brand mom had bought for years … And that dad had brewed the same way, using the same coffee machine (not technically, but same difference), he had always used from the beginning of time (again, not technically, but same difference). Nor was there something different with nor in the water.
By Phillip Verboskay5 years ago in Families
Death of an Artist
The day I bought my Dad a brand new car, he died. Not the way people say, “I’m dead,” at the end of a very unfunny joke, dead. Dead, he’s never coming back, dead. Cold hands, hard body, one-eye-open—dead. Dead like I watched them carry him down the stairs in a body bag dead. Dead like I went to the funeral and saw my little brother fall to his knees in front of the open casket dead. Dead like the crematorium sent me his remains in a shoe box dead. Dead. I’ll never hear his voice again dead. Dead, dead.
By Natalie Vilotijevic5 years ago in Families
Selfless
The lawyer, Mr. Louis, apparently a friend of the family states Mel’s name and waits for her to acknowledge him. Mel does not bother to look up. She stares at the window. She is already aware of the jewelry her mom had left which she cannot claim because those same jewelry were stolen after news broke of her mom’s passing. Mel was furious. Not just because of the jewelry but also because she did not understand why they had to read the will the day of the funeral. She had protested many times to push it, but no one wanted to wait. It is not like her mom left a fortune behind.
By RosieDell Folie5 years ago in Families
An Empty Life
Settling the estate was more complicated than Mike had expected. It was a full month after his father’s death before he was back in the lawyer’s office for the last time, waiting to hear the final amount his father had left him. The lawyer opened the sealed envelope with agonizing slowness, as Mike’s heartrate soared. It’s fine, he reminded himself, taking a breath. Everything had already been taken care of; the lawyer would hand him the cheque, and he would continue on with his life. He would forget about his father once again. There was nothing to be nervous about. Whatever else his father had been, he had worked every day of his life, and Mike knew he had at least been left a decent inheritance. Hopefully it would be enough to buy a new car and pay off the house, to start.
By Shanay Hazell5 years ago in Families
Seedless
I’ve had a difficult year. Some wicked wizard cast a spell on me and surrounded me with goblins. One of the goblins smells like motor oil, has thick curly hair, and is always trying to get me into his car. I used to fight him, kick him, I even bit him, but he called the police on me. The officer was no fool, he saw right through the goblin and got me out of there. He put me in the back seat of his car to protect me then closed the door, went up to the goblin, and told him off. It was great, the goblin looked so disappointed. What was he thinking trying to eat me?
By Louisa L. Gregory5 years ago in Families
Madeline and the Necklace
My great-aunt Patricia had gone the way she would have wanted – falling asleep to reruns of The Twilight Zone after slinging back a number of daiquiris – but something felt wrong. Other than her being dead, obviously. I don’t mean to sound like I wasn’t cut up about it. I spent the ensuing days in her apartment, ostensibly cleaning up and getting things ready to donate, while actually listening to her Don McLean albums in the dark, glugging her shiraz, and eating Froot Loops straight out of the box.
By Andromeda Solo5 years ago in Families
The Dog Tag
Quickly Ambrose realized he was in the city park, the same park he usually took on his way back and forth to school. After the yelling match he had with the school principal, the park seemed like a good place to be—a good place to clear his head. The trees were nicely spread out, the grass was a vibrant green and at the moment he could see all of it, even the pond. Never had he been able to see all of the pond, usually there were geese or people, but there was no one. It was really nice, Ambrose didn’t have a thing to worry about and just for a moment he was completely free of worry.
By Wyatt Mansfield5 years ago in Families
When Rose Petals Fall
“ Come on move for me” I urged my body forward. “We can die another day, not today” I pleaded with myself. My body was beaten down, worn and torn from sleepless nights and numerous jobs. Although drained out of life, today was just like any other; thinking of her, chasing time, running wherever dollar bills flew, wherever nickels and dimes fell.
By Tre Chintankwa5 years ago in Families
