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.
One Happy Family
Let us start at the beginning. Hi, my name is Ashley. I grew up in a small town in Wyoming, where everyone knew everyone. It was a quiet, farmer's town, where you would wake up to roosters and sugar beets. My father was employed by Haliburton, so my family was never hurting for money. My mother worked as well, but she was always the one to take care of my brother and me. We played a lot of sports ever since we were little, and our mom was always there. Despite our dad working all the time, when he did come home it was almost like he was not there. He would never pay attention to us and he basically treated us like slaves. Then things took a turn for the worst when he started drinking.
By Ashley Ray6 years ago in Families
Nothing can be more depressing than this.
Shantanu and Rashmi were expecting a baby. It has been 4 years since they've been married and the wounds of loss of the stillborn girl child two years ago were beginning to heal. Rashmi was advised to be careful this time by their family doctor as another mishap could prove harmful to her, both physically and mentally.
By Utkarsh Sinha6 years ago in Families
Broken Records
Broken Records "Honey, I'm home!" Right, because we don't already know. Clearly, he thinks this is funny because he deposits that gut-derived laugh into the once blaring silence of the house: A house that everyone on the block is familiar with. But for the record, it's not funny. The front door flies open and streaks of light from the street-lamps hit his figure at angles that make him look like a swaying shadow in our doorway. Following, again, is that familiar low rumble of laughter that will always bring up memories of a childhood that no longer exists.
By Ashley Alleyne Van-De-Cruize 6 years ago in Families
Grandpa Gave me the Moon
When I was 8 I watched the moon landing. I wasn’t actually alive for the real moon landing but my grandpa had a video and an old player for it in his shed. He was ‘saving it for a rainy day’. I was one of the few kids in my class who knew what a video was and wasn’t accustomed to DVDs and (soon) Bluray. It has occurred to me, since then, that my younger family members may only remember Netflix as a source of on-demand entertainment.
By Tarryn Richardson6 years ago in Families
The one where cancer won
When I was 13 years old, my sister and I had moved to my new house with my mom after my parent's divorce, sadly, I had to leave behind my friends and most of my family. My new school was about the same size as my old school so it wasn't that hard to adjust. My dad got partial custody of my sister and me, so we went and visited every weekend. Every Saturday my friend Brook and I would meet up and talk about everything that was happening in each other lives that the other didn't know about. Her life was taking a turn that I wouldn't have been able to handle. Brook, without crying, had told me that she was diagnosed with leukemia. This wasn't easy for me to hear because I knew I wasn't able to help her through this when I lived so far away from her.
By Tiana Dryden6 years ago in Families
Warning: Pandemic May Include Side Effects
This pandemic killed my mother. No, she didn’t have the coronavirus, but I do believe the stress and loneliness of isolation killed her. She had pulmonary fibrosis, chronic pneumonia, and a smorgasbord of other health issues including a previous bout with stage four cancer and a baker’s dozen back surgeries. Following the death of her husband, she struggled to adapt to living alone for the first time in her life. The truth is she was sad and dying long before any lockdowns were sanctioned, but my grieving heart wants something to blame. Global chaos and a national emergency seem like as good of excuses as any. I believe the isolation was just too much when combined with the uncertainty of being able to hold her tribe again.
By Jodi George-Wilkinson6 years ago in Families
Cries
Listening to your cries was the hardest thing I knew, knowing I couldn't help you feel better..knowing I didn't understand what you were thinking. Often times I walked away when all you needed was comfort, and now I understand when it's too late because I'm dealing with it all now too. No one understands how I feel, what I am thinking and it's frustrating.
By Brea McDade6 years ago in Families
Not Right now, is okay
She was gorgeous. If gorgeousness was packaged, she was the type you had to order from a special organic brand which would be mailed to you in 4 – 5 business days. Those in the village she lived in were lucky to catch so much as a glimpse of her walking past. Her name was Usiku.
By Melanie Munda6 years ago in Families
