immediate family
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
The Thin, Thin Line
The Thin, Thin Line I came across a quote on Instagram not too long ago and it mentioned something about cutting toxic people out of your life; that it’s ok to do so even if they’re family, something like that. I scrolled past it without giving it too much thought, but it stuck with me anyway. This one, unlike the million others I see every day, I felt personally. I’d cut someone toxic out of my life years ago, and sometimes I don’t know if it was the best thing I’d ever done or the worst.
By Sweet Karoline5 years ago in Families
Marlow's Lotta Fun
My family has been devout lake-goers ever since my great grandparents bought a lot on Watts Bar lake over fifty years ago. Five generations of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents assemble at the lot to bask in the sunshine, compete in various activities, relax around a campfire, and gorge on any food we can fry.
By Kelsie Eldridge 5 years ago in Families
Rebecca's story
"Quick, quick, he's coming down the alleyway" Aida's voice yelled in panic. "Quick, Mam, or else we'll miss him, Mam... Mam...where are you...." her voice tailed off in a plaintive wail of desperation at her missing parent. "Walter," she shouted "run down to the end of the entry and stop him, bring him back here while I get our Mam " Tutting and muttering several expletives under her breath Aida set off back across the yard in search of her quarry. Walter, her younger brother, for once decided to follow his sisters orders, knowing that she was quite capable of boxing his ear should he fail to apprehend the stranger. Aida was very set upon this and Walter knew of old that once Aida had made her mind up about something there was very little that would get in the way of her. Catching up to the young man however didn't prove too difficult to a lad of his age and agility especially as the stranger had drawn such a crowd of interested onlookers out of the back to back court houses that his progress was quite limited in the narrow entry. Especially as he carried a large cumbersome box against his chest and was picking his way gingerly through the discarded rubbish and other unsavoury deluge that littered the alleyway, his face set in an expression of utter disgust. "Mister, Walter pulled at the tail of his smart suit to attract his attention, "Mister, our Mam wants you to take her picture..."
By Maria Lorraine Preston5 years ago in Families
Lessons from my Parents
It is easy to dote on one’s parents. It is in our nature to adore the people who raised us, especially when they have been blameless as parents. I am no exception to that rule. They have shown me how in spite of the setbacks that life has in store for me, I can still do great things.
By Neville Kitala5 years ago in Families
Leah's Grace
To Grace and Shiloh, That watch that your mother says she “bought” for your father isn’t a watch she bought at all. Me and Bootsie boosted it from the Chicago Bulls locker rooms, several weeks before your mother let us all know she was pregnant with ya’ll. Even now, we don’t know what belonged to whom. Bootsie just went in, unzipped those duffel bags and took whatever looked valuable. Chains, blazers, designer shirts, sneakers, backpacks, rings. We’d already made international headlines. Just about nobody had gone untouched. Our first hit was Boston TD Garden, then we made our way downward to the Nets, Philly Cavaliers, then down to the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks then Orlando Magic. And we just kept moving up and down in a zig zag. We came real close to losing it all when we hit the LA Clippers. It was me, Bootsie and Solo that go-round. Each time we stuck a team, only one of us went in to boost. The other two would watch the surroundings of the locker rooms. You might be thinking we pretended we were the housekeeping crew. Nope. We always staked a stadium out for, at least, one month before gameday. Planting our cameras in places we could snatch them up from when we got through. Remember that man I told you about who took me to senior prom? Taz? He went to school for computer engineering. That was the genius behind all our equipment. I lied about the purpose and told him I didn’t feel safe at my apartment in those suburbs because it was so spread out. So he hooked me up with his custom security system that he and his friends were getting trademarked. He assured me that I’d be safe if I just married him. We still talk, and I eventually told him what really went down. He says that’s the past; he still wants to marry me. But marriage and kids aren’t and ain’t never been for me. Though I’m not lying when I say that the two of you and your cousin are three of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you for sending me the picture; I’m amazed at how beautiful ya’ll have grown to be. How’s school going? What ya’ll been up to?
By Davontae Jones5 years ago in Families
The One Where Monique Feels "The Fear"
It’s time for me to strike out on my own. This time will be different though because I won’t be able to come back. It’s so strange that this place that was only ever supposed to be a temporary pit stop has become the most constant thing in my life.
By Monique Molnar5 years ago in Families
Little Black Book
Chewing Gum. $.15 Bandaids $1.49 Toothpicks .45 The neat columns fill page after page in the black notebook. His handwriting was strong, even flamboyant, but disciplined and meticulous at the same time. Like him. A raconteur, a bon vivant who enjoyed a glass of beer, would throw back his head and laugh with friends, but also a competitive athlete, a man who methodically performed his physical exercises every morning and read every book twice through in case he had missed something the first time. There are dozens of notebooks in this cabinet, because my father wrote down every penny he spent. He gave my mother the same gift every birthday and Valentine's Day. He filled the three family cars with gas every Saturday.
By Joan Anderson5 years ago in Families
