immediate family

Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.

Save the lost affection
When I was about to celebrate the Spring Festival, I suddenly found that in recent years, I was only busy with work and family, and owed too much debt to others! Colleagues, relatives, friends, neighbors! I've been having a hard time sleeping lately because of this overdue debt.
By Liston Flowers3 years ago in Families
Am I Mothering Correctly?
As of January, 2022, I became a mother to twin boys. They are my first children with my husband, and, let me tell you, I felt incredibly lost at first. I was beyond exhausted, especially at the beginning. My boys were born through an emergency C-section at 35 and a half weeks. One of my boys, we shall call him A, was born at 6 pounds and ended up staying in the NICU for two weeks, as he could not breathe on his own. Our other boy, B, was born exactly four pounds. This period of time was filled with hormones, highs, lows, and questions I never thought I would be asking of myself. Over the next two months, as my husband and I got acclimated to our family doubling in size, I made the executive decision to go see a doctor, as I believed I was suffering from Postpartum Depression. I was quickly diagnosed and began to take Zoloft.
By Natalie Wilson3 years ago in Families
Food of Childhood
My childhood was scented with osmanthus flowers. When I was young, I lived in the countryside. There was a sweet-scented osmanthus tree in my yard. In autumn, clusters of golden flowers filled the branches and bloomed thickly all over the tree.
By sally4 years ago in Families
How Going no Contact Changed my Life
He was the kind of man you did not want to cross. He did not see stumbling as a natural process. Someone had to be to blame when his child slipped up and fell. Being his niece was hard. I learned a lot from him. Most of it, I wish I didn't. He wasn’t an easy person to deal with. He was mean and a drunk but if you get past that something was there. Something I guess he thought didn’t show but I could see he was afraid. Of what, I am not sure.
By Nat 4 years ago in Families
The Dynasty
Into the world as five of six I came. Three brothers and one sister, our family was not quite complete. Later you added number six. Another girl. Three and three and no more!
By Lynne Vella4 years ago in Families
Colorado Sand Dunes
In the summer of my eighth-grade year, 1983, my father, mother, brothers Bill, Marty and I took a three week road trip to see the Grand Canyon. I recall the absolute of dread of going on that trip. I remembering thinking how much I would miss my best friends, Gina and Stacie who lived next door.
By Susan Eileen 4 years ago in Families
On the Banks
Walking through the dark green fescue grass and feeling the dampness of the morning dew soaking into the bottoms of my blue jeans is the way any good day of fishing starts. Zebco fishing pole and tan tackle box in hand, I make the trip across the cow pasture in the early mist of morning with the sun and its red orange tinge barely rising above the horizon. The lowing cattle across the field watch you contentedly as they begin their day also.
By Don Money4 years ago in Families
Shelling, Shucking, and Snapping
One of my most pleasant childhood memories would begin with the rough scraping sound of a wooden bushel basket sliding up on the front porch. Growing up, work was a natural part of life on a farm, some of the work was always more welcome than others. Mowing the yard was a hot solitary job and hauling hay was a hot group job, but one that did not allow much time for fraternizing. The work the garden brought though held the promise of family laughs, stories, and songs.
By Don Money4 years ago in Families
My Ah-ma’s Ketchup Fried Rice
I remember a story about my Grandma (my Ah-ma) or I sort of remember it. It was after World War 2 (my Grandma was born in 1926). Something about her having to carry my Mom or Uncle(s) across a long bridge to get to the other side of where she was going. A stranger stopped her & offered to help her carry some of the stuff she had on top of her kids. My Grandma being the person that she is gave him this one bag, and the stranger made off with the bag (theft masked as a kind gesture). Little did the stranger know that what was inside the bag was poop from the kids. That explains a lot about the type of person my Grandma was. Alone, on her back, she was willing to carry her own kids & all of her possessions, regardless of how long, hard, far the journey was. My Grandma would get up at 5am every day. She would spend every day cooking, sewing/patching up clothes, taking care of us. She was never lazy. Probably the dish of hers that I miss the most is her “dan bao fan” or ketchup fried rice wrapped in an egg omelette. That comfort food dish is a pop culture phenomenon in itself. Ketchup from America (or does it come from England originally idk)? Fried rice (Chinese in origin), but the grains of rice are a medium/short grain variety much more Japanese in nature (as are probably the origins of the dish). Popularized in western style cafes/diners in Japan & brought to Taipei probably? I’ve had ketchup fried rice in Tokyo (near the Tsukiji Fish Market), I’ve had it in Taipei at this OG bi-level spot that my Mom has been going to since she was a kid. There’s a row of woks (all “dan bao fan” or udon going when it’s busy), a heavier set dude (The Bows) watching the cooks. The whole place is so retro, a cultural experience in itself. But I still like my Grandma’s ketchup fried rice the best. Why? She would probably start the pan with some lard, crispy fried shallots, thin slices of pork. Then you toss the rice with all of that flavor to coat. But adding enough Ketchup is the key (and it’s never as good when some place uses a cheap, no-name brand ketchup). And the egg omelette you do separately, have it ready on the plate to wrap the Ketchup fried rice in). Makes me hungry just thinking about it now (and a plate of French fries would go perfectly with it, especially if it were 2am).
By Rob Hsu4 years ago in Families
Names and Natives
When I was new to college, my younger sister asked me to get a sister tattoo with her. I said no because I thought tattoos were trashy, and one on the hand was definitely going to impede my achievements in life.
By Lorelei4 years ago in Families
The Voice of the Tree House
The whispers from the trees began ten minutes ago to lure us into the forest like a siren's call. Halloween night and me just ten years old as my friends gathered at our house in their costumes and full of candy from the night’s scavagings and roamings from the neighborhood homes lit with pumpkins as the paper ghosts wraithed in the cooling breeze that rattled the leaves that sounded like applause the of bones. The whispers continued tin-like and distant as my friends with their plastic flashlights huddled terrified. “Long is the night, and deep is the forest where mysteries lie! Come find me!”
By Kevin Rolly4 years ago in Families
The Pearl Necklace. Top Story - July 2022.
I remember back in the 80s, when I was a girl, my mother bought her first "real" pearl necklace. She was so excited. She was a homemaker for most of her life. She never had her own money, never had a job, never had a feeling of independence. She was always at home taking care of her children. When I turned 12, this all changed.
By Kristi Flowers4 years ago in Families