immediate family
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
Wedding Stress
I'm getting married! I'm still getting used to saying that. I say it to my fiance about nineteen times a day. It hasn't started driving him nuts... yet. I never really thought I would get married as a kid. I always thought - even growing up, that if I did get married, I would elope in Vegas. So when I realized that I needed to start planning a wedding, I got a little scared. I know there's a lot to it. But I'm a low - stress person. If it causes me stress, I try not to deal with it. Everyone told me, planning my wedding, it was going to be impossible for me to not stress about it. They weren't wrong.
By Michelle Schultz6 years ago in Families
My Big Fat Greek.....Life
As many may have figured from my last name starting with an X and sounding like something you’ve never even heard of I am here to tell that even though many may think that my life is certainly compared the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” there are many things that are very different in comparison. For one, my dad doesn’t chase people around the house with windex cleanse and spray us with it if we have an ailment, even though that was pretty funny 🤣and another big thing that many non-Greeks believe after watching this movie is that all Greeks must marry within the Greek community. Well I beg to differ on that one. My godmother actually married an Italian man, hence making my godfather a non-Greek and my two god sisters half Italian and half Greek which in my book is a pretty cool mix. My back story starts like this; my dad first came to the US in the late 1970’s when he was only about 18 years old. He lived in Jersey City, New Jersey and took the ferry into Manhattan and worked as a dishwasher just trying to make ends meet. A few years go by, circa 1983 he goes back to the motherland to become a godfather himself, to who else, my older cousin George. Mind you my aunt set this up completely because she wanted him to meet my mother. And so the story goes that my dad met my mom at my cousins baptism and year later they were married. Eventually they moved back to Jersey and three years later they had my sister, Maria. When she was three they moved to Long Island, NY and two years after that they decided to have me 😳🙂🤣. At the time my dad and uncle Mike had opened up their little version of a coffee shop in Forest Hills, Queens, (which is still there folks go check it out it’s the bomb diggity!). It’s still there to this day even though with this whole corona virus going on we are still doing deliveries and take outs so please go check us out! We need all the help we can get!! But anyway, growing up with 2 immigrant parents from Greece has been totally normal besides the fact that I had to go to Greek school and Greek dance and Sunday school on sundays I still did the normal everyday kid things. I played clarinet in the elementary school band and I was even a Girl Scout. But let me not bore you any further, yes my family is huge and loud and I love them all to death. Hope you like my story 🙂🧐
By Angela Xerakias6 years ago in Families
Strength in the Shadows
Start writing...Inspirational women in my life have been numerous,however three stand above all others. I was eleven when life drastically changed& I was in desperate need of guidance. My father lost his eight-year long battle with cancer leaving my mom to raise us three children alone. I would never fully grasp the depth of this challenge till I was grown,reflecting back on how we were brought up with love,never having much,but always managing to get by,relying heavily on the shared trama that loss brings. Despite mom's depression&driftlessness that would be a part of all our lives for the next decade,we grew together bonded by our suffering.Death is an amazing glue to those that remain,it was in our case anyway. Our family relying heavily on our humor and sarcasm. My mom's strength&determination to go on has been an inspiration to me my entire adult life.Seven years ago she fought her own battle with breast cancer as my sister&I stood alongside her lost in a fog of disbelief.We all made our way through despite our newest scars. Losing one parent put a profound amount of fear in our minds and hearts as we hoped for the best.It has been five years and we still have our family happily intact with mom being the intracal heart.My younger sister by ten years is not only an amazing inspiration to me,she is my truest friend. Anna was the gift that entered our world when my father was leaving ours. She was six months old when dad died and the one light we had at that dark time.Highly creative,she is an amazing pianoist,painter,and writer. Having a gift as an entrepreneur,she started her own jewelry business at the age of 22,selling her handmade pieces of art at local independent shops and atCrystal Bridges Museum store. Despite her depression&anxiety,she has arisen from the ashes to be a woman that has no recognition of the true inspiration she is. I admire how she continues to fight,despite everyday being an uphill challenge. Anna gives my life color,she adds humor&depth to every day.The world through her lens is such a uniquely beautiful one that I value getting to have a glimpse through. When you are a highly private person who has a small circle of trust,to have a person understand your mind is a raregift. We are true regency era sisters,equally loving to read,create art,take afternoon walks,drinking tea with paintbrushesin hand. Loving our solitude almost as much as each other,the quiet peace of our lives suits us very well. I come from a extensive family with my dad's sister,my aunt Yvonne,soaring to the top of my favorite people list. Standing beside me through the roller coaster of life has been my second mother for as long as I can remember.Living half of my life in central Wisconsin on a farm,she taught me lost skills of survival long before it was popular,besides being a Jill of all trades,it's her kindness that sets her apart as a powerhouse of a woman.Auntie's empathy&love for everyone makes her stand out as an inspiration of what the world is desperately lacking enough of. The values and qualities I admire most are embodied in her,love runs through all of her veins felt by all she meets. How a person treats another person is how I measure quality of character,and in this she taught through example what love is. I feel as women,we all come from a long line of strength,we just have to tap into it,with the realization that it too,resides in each one of us.
By Inga S Christianson6 years ago in Families
My daughter...my inspiration.
After being tortured for 9 months with vomiting,low blood pressure and then put on a walking frame as i was unable to weight bear due to a fractured pubic bone,and coccyx bone,i was induced at 37 weeks and went through 14 hrs of precipricated labour and then had my waters broken..in that process they pulled the doctor pulled out a red hair. I was mortifed as i knew of no redheads in our family and i said to my husband :"i didnt cheat on you i promise!" My husband and my mum burst into laughter and said..um my brother was a red head, and your babies grandmother was a redhead!" I didnt know that ...
By Donna Bolch6 years ago in Families
A virtuous woman
Words fail to describe the beauty of the one I call mother. A woman who has fought for me and loved me through my most shameful and hateful days. Memories of my childhood burst into my mind at random occasions demanding my celebration of this very special woman. She has taught me so much truth and corrected me with sweet love. Her hands are always open to give me all I need and desire. She certainly withholds no good thing from me. This is not to say I’m spoilt. On the contrary growing up I had the strictest dad on the block. He disciplined me regularly and even beyond what was necessary. Often my mother would fight to protect us. To shield us from our father’s violent rage. She took so much pain and disgrace in her shoes as wife. Especially when I was but a child. She also made herself available for occasions, birthdays, meals and more. Simply put, anything that was special to us was special to her.
By Amanda Awobasivwe6 years ago in Families
THE STORY OF MY LIFE CHAPTER-1
I was born on August 28, 2003 in a middle class, Hindu (a Particular religion)Family living in Jalandhar, India. My grandfather was a doctor at that time and My Mom was a teacher and was doing some further studies to succeed in career. My Dad was also a doctor at that time and he currently is, But my Grandfather never let him work as doctor as they believe that my father doesn’t know how to earn money. I have one elder brother who is 3 years older than me. As i was born, My Mom was doing some studies and my father was always busy in helping my grandparents so there was no one to takecare of me. As my mom came from hospital she has exams going on so it was difficult for her to take care and also study for exams, My parents requested my grandparents day that can they please handle me until my mom clears her studies, but my grandparents said no, As they don’t want my mom to clear her education. At that time My Maternal Grandparents ( Mom’s parents) picked me up and they start walking outside the house as they said that “ This child is now mine and he will stay with us until my mom is done with her studies”. My Mom start crying as i was only three days old when i have to go my maternal grandparents house. It was so weird that a child who is only three days old has to leave his parents and Nobody on earth can ever kove you more than your parents. I stayed 2 years at my maternal grandparents house my parents come on every weekend to meet me with some toys and they feel very happy seeing me with my maternal grandma. My maternal grandfather has one grocery shop at that time so i used to go there and eat a bunch of candies for free and My Maternal grandparents loved me alot and they still do. My uncle also love me alot he used to give me ride every single night in car to make me sleep. Those 3 was my best years of my life. I received a lot of love from everyone. The neighbours the vendors on streets loved me alot.
By Armaan Malhotra6 years ago in Families
