parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
what my mother taught me
My mother was just 15 years old when she became pregnant with my brother. Her young husband, (by all accounts a sweet, shy, dark-haired lanky boy with a molasses southern accent) was killed shortly after she gave birth. One day an enormous oak tree fell on him, I assume crushing his skull.
By Josephine Wall5 years ago in Families
Lessons Learned
Simplicity and Practicality. My mum was a simple woman. I don’t mean unintelligent, she just didn’t crave money or material possessions. Her hair was always short and she rarely wore make-up. I rarely remember her in anything but trousers (particularly her purple, flared cords so popular in the 1970s). My dad told me that he loved the way she was plain but feminine. In her wardrobe though, she had a pretty pink blouse, a black pencil skirt and some patent leather court shoes for special occasions. After my son was born my wardrobe was divided up much like my mum’s used to be. Looking back at photos I can see that the clothes with the persistent stains and holes are linked with some wonderful times with my son and my sister’s kids - messing about in the garden, playing on the beach, making art and craft projects and cooking. When I was a kid we had a vegetable garden. Mum was always out there weeding, picking and digging. In fact she was digging up potatoes the day my sister was born. She was never bothered about my clothes getting dirty - they could be washed. I’m very much the same. I would much rather enjoy my time with my youngest nieces than fret about chocolate finger prints on my jeans. They’ll grow up soon enough and my jeans can be washed.
By Julie Murrow5 years ago in Families
Querida Madre,
Mami, I see you. I see you in me. You are so powerful, and strong that I am convinced that you are a goddess. You raised three girls on your own, and you have done a magnificent job, because look at us, we are Queens. I saw how you made sure that we had everything that we needed while growing up from clothes, food, and love. We were so spoiled, but you made sure to humble us. You worked double shifts, and long nights to make sure that you were able to provide for us and be able to take us to our homeland (Dominican Republic) every summer after school ended. Toward the end of our trips you would have my sisters and I go through our clothes in our luggage and gift half of them to our family and friends in the Dominican Republic. It didn't matter how much we had spent on the clothes or if it was our favorite, we gave it away. As time went on it was something I did without thinking twice about it. At a young age I came to realize where I was privileged compare to my friends and family in the Dominican Republic, and the beauty of giving. I give with intent, and you gift yourself so much more when you're not attached. You taught us what it really means to give.
By Giselle Bonilla5 years ago in Families
Teaching Your Children To Cook
My mum can cook. She can cook and bake the most amazing food. And she never kept her four children out of the kitchen: we were brought up in the kitchen, cleaning the pots, cut the vegetables and learning how to feed ourselves.
By Niall James Bradley5 years ago in Families
Let Music Speak For Your Soul.
When I think of my teenage years, a lot of darkness comes to mind. Growing up, I always wondered if people were telling the truth about their home lives. Could parents really love their kids that much? Is happiness in a family actually achievable? Just to let you know, this will be a trigger for some, but here's my story about how music saved my life.
By Danielle Weed Bell5 years ago in Families
A balanced equation.
I got a B- in AP Chemistry when I was 15. This is the lowest grade I got in all of high school; that’s sounding like I’m a braggart, but really, that detail there gets at the heart of the matter. The protagonist of this short-my mother, my beautiful and brilliant and extraordinary mamma-she’s a chemist. She used to work in a lab. A chemistry lab. And it’s here, in her handling of chemistry being the nadir of my academic career, that the mindfulness and grace that she adds to the workings of the world, is on full display. She didn’t find my struggle with the subject to be either irritating or amusing; she found it curious more than anything, because, while awkward was my brand in all the years of my life numbered 7 on thru to 17, school was my time to shine; and I excelled in sciences up to that point. My AP Bio teacher from my class the year prior, was, and to this day, remains, my favorite teacher of any subject, at any level.
By Rhiannon Jefferies5 years ago in Families
