immediate family
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
The Blue Boys Incident
It was Saturday morning. Chuck and Carol needed a little time to sleep in. Matthew got up at 5:00 AM, on Saturdays, he would always get himself a bowl of cereal, and watch Saturday morning Cartoons. Scooby-Doo was his favorite, but early mornings on Saturdays only provided the old Rankin Bass 1960’s version of Pinocchio and The Wizard of Oz, and then a rousing “Rocket Robin Hood”. Not Emmy winning TV, but it kept him entertained, until the real cartoons came on. Aaron, still slept in his crib, until the bunk bed was put together and painted, usually slept until 8:00 AM.
By Matthew Hill4 years ago in Families
The Beetroot Incident
The Beetroot incident It was a steamy, hot August Summer’s day, a rare thing in County Limerick, Ireland. One of those Summers that you believe all of your childhood Summers were like but it was probably only one or two. I was around 7 years old.
By Geraldine Purcell-Lynch4 years ago in Families
Marigolds
The clock ticked on the mantle-piece beside the porcelain children and the glass clowns. A special bed had been placed in the centre of the room, with a view out of the bay window. There was a faint mix of smells, the sweet scent of perfume and the bitterness of sweat.
By Wilkie Stewart4 years ago in Families
The Meeting of Hearts
Izzy chose carefully her favourite clothes to pack - she intended to make the best impression possible, for Trent to be proud of her…. At the thought, her heart beat wildly! Not often does a girl meet her husband’s sister at the same time as he does. If she was confused, imagine what Trent must be feeling! He had been in another world since finding out about Abby, one moment desperate to meet her and the next, embarrassed of his past, his criminal record, his scars - and then he would avoid discussing the subject at any cost.
By Angie Allanby4 years ago in Families
Our Moment
“Hey, Johnny. Do you like applesauce?” Johnny was sitting right next to his dad, but his mind was almost 3,000 miles away. Johnny and his dad had gone on an “adventure” to Baja, California, and Johnny got no joy out of it. He would rather be back at home online gaming. He played super smash bros religiously as a Donkey Kong main (as they say in the smash community). Out of all his friends, Johnny was the best, and they all knew it. He would spend hours playing Super Smash Bros on his Nintendo Switch and studying all the game mechanics. Johnny would come home from school and play until the wee hours of the next day, and in the summer, it was almost a 24-hour affair. Sometimes he wouldn’t change clothes and even forgot to eat. He loved it.
By Kawan Glover4 years ago in Families
Akili and the Marigolds
The weather outside was hot and dry. It hadn’t rained in months. Akili and her mother had grown a beautiful, flourishing garden. Akili’s grandfather taught her mother how to grow a variety of crops like corn, pepper, tomato, okra and watermelon. Akili’s mother was known for selling the best produce at the local market. They were both looking forward to harvesting the summer crops but a sweltering heatwave caused their reaping to wither away. They looked at the crops disappointedly as they moved through the garden.
By Erika Benton-Martin 4 years ago in Families
Legacy
My sister and I always competed against each other for attention from our parents. Perhaps, the moment that came to my mind as I recalled when we danced with Marigolds in our hair. One of the rare moments Rose and I played together without trying to dominate. It was Spring as little girls, where we braided together crowns of dandelion, marigolds, and mums from the garden. The smell of Lilac in the breeze as we crowned each other. Listening to Paula Abdul as we danced barefoot on the grass. Finding a moment to just be and love.
By Tasha Lackey4 years ago in Families
Lumpy Mashed Potatoes
I don’t have any early cuddly memories of my mother’s cooking, because while she had innate skills that were demonstrated on mostly rare occasions, our dinner times were not Norman Rockwell gatherings of the family unit. My father came home later than my friends' fathers; their fathers seemed to turn into the driveways on our street around 5:00 pm and the families were sitting down around 5:30 to a meal the mother had prepared during the day.
By Valerie Kittell5 years ago in Families
JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS
Written by James D. Merrick, January, 19, 2021 In high spirits, my Juan and I departed early that fourth of July morning from our Bakersfield home. We were headed for a family reunion in Redlands. The weather person had forecast a sunny clear-sky day for all of California. That morning, while I put on my sport shirt, the anticipation switch in my brain clicked into fast forward. My fingers fumbled with the buttons as the good kind of jitters circulated inside of me. I knew from past gatherings that being with family members would fill me with good vibes, bad jokes, and scrumptious food. The thought of being immersed in a pool of hugs, handshakes, and kisses made me pay special attention to my reflection in the bathroom mirror: I wanted to look my best. I beamed at the thought of socializing with seldom-seen members of my clan and especially my former wife, Nancy. But the die was cast: no one, not even she, suspected the devastation already taking place inside her body.
By James Dale Merrick5 years ago in Families
