parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
Good Moms Can Have Bad Days
Motherhood is hard. Really, really, really hard. It doesn't matter if you have a partner to help. It doesn't matter if you have a housekeeper, a nanny, and a personal chef. Even with an entire village, being a mom is the most difficult calling on the planet.
By Aria White5 years ago in Families
Paper Clips, Cigarettes, & Alcoholism
Dear Dad, Do you know how much I love you? I hope you do because I love you a lot. It hurts me every time I see you and I know you know why. You are dying before my eyes because you choose to seek ill comfort in a bottle and a cigarette. Your skin is always itching and sometimes appears yellow. Your eyes are yellow and bloodshot, and it’s not because you are "tired." The ends of your nails are swollen and yellow. Your breath smells like a sweet nothing.
By Emily Wohlstadter5 years ago in Families
My Father's Hands
My Father’s Hands His face is fading in my memory. I try to hold on, but his hands are what is clear to me. The smooth, straight fingers had clean, short nails. His second finger slanted slightly at the tip, which he had cut off while slicing food for us. The doctor stitched it together at an angle, and it remained that way. The back sides, lightly specked with freckles and sparsely covered with dark hair, had begun to show signs of age. On the underside, the skin was stretched so tight and smooth that the identifying lines seemed barely perceptible.
By Marissa Olivier5 years ago in Families
Letter To My Dad
Dear Dad, It will be 3 Years in August from the day you finally got rest, to be honest I am quite glad you went when you did, 2020 was a horror story the world was living. COVID-19 has taken so many lives, so where you are must feel quite busy. I keep finding myself wondering how you would be in this situation, knowing your Daughter works within the public unit so I am more at risk working with the public, although work hasn't exsisted in the last 2 months but that's another letter. I keep thinking you would probably make a joke about finding a bunker somewhere and saying it will be like I am Legend, you would have been careful for Nan's sake but it would drive you mad if you had to quantine with her and knowing you wouldn't have been able to see James and I. It's tough. Really tough, but others in the world/country have it worse. I am lucky I have Mum. You have missed so much, Olly and I are still a couple and going strong although I now live back with Mum and Olly lives with his parents again, no argument involved but I had an opporunity that I just had to take and Olly... well Olly fell out with the landlady and had enough (which I am not surprised about) We are both well despite the rapid COVID-19 cases in the area. Although because we live seperatly we cannot see eachother - that's hard, not being able to be with your partner is annoying and frustrating. As you are probably aware Grandad Ron passed away - he was just coming up to his 92nd birthday, you've probably had so many conversations with him (please say hi for me) I moved in and kept his lovely house warm while Mum put it on the market, it was wonderful having my own space, somewhere I could just do what I wanted, sing what I wanted, eat what I wanted. Then the house sold and Christmas happened. So I am back where I started, which don't get me wrong is wonderful, I am not alone and I am happy but I do miss my own space, not bothered by someone asking me to do the dishwasher or washing or even housework. I miss being able to do stuff like in my own time and not being judged because I haven't done it straight away. Anyway it shouldn't be long before I am in my OWN house. Thanks to you by the way - You have given James and I the best gift in helping us get on the property ladder, it would have been impossible without you. Obviously we would much rather have you in our lives, to be able to just pick up the phone and speak with you, or knowing you will be walking me down the ilse (one day) but the thought of knowing it was you that helped me buy my own house is just as special.
By Rainbows Have Nothing To Hide5 years ago in Families
Quarantine Mom Talks
Having children during a Quarantine is hard. When you think about mom's you think: Love, Understanding, Someone who cooks, cleans and keeps everyone happy. But you rarely see how she really feels. When you is trying to juggle homeschool work along side of school work for the virtual homebound child. She is struggling to keep her cool because her children are falling apart and crying. She wants so badly to take all the stress and struggle off of their little shoulders and do it for them. But she can't because they have to learn it and soak it all in. She guides them the best she can in teaching them what they need to know for that lesson or that project. She gives them the confidence they need, even though she is struggling to keep it together. She feel's like there is non-stop cleaning to do everyday. She wants to just take a moment to herself but she knows if she does she will be behind on cleaning. She is struggling to keep herself together because she has to help everyone else. Once dinner comes along and she now has to get that going, she is struggling to find the energy to figure out her dinner plan for the night. Even when she had a plan for dinner set up the night before, now it just seems like too big of a task. But she pulls herself together and gets dinner going for her husband and children. When her husband gets home from work, he is tired from the day. She tells him to go do what he needs to relax, even though she is thinking in the back of her head how she wants a moment to relax. Dinner is ready and now it is time for them to eat, but mom doesn't sit down to eat until everyone has plates and drinks. Once she gets that moment, then comes the kids who have devoured their food asking question after question. She calmly answers those questions, even if her food is getting cold. She has one child who is still in the midst of getting the hang of using the bathroom. So when that child needs to go mom is to the rescue to make sure they are doing fine in there. After dinner plates are cleared from the table and the kitchen is cleaned from cooking and eating. Here comes the baths/showers and bedtime routine. At this point mom is just ready to lay down and is exhausted from the day, but she finishes out bedtime routines and tucking the little one's into bed. When she finally lays down to relax before closing her eyes, here comes a child scared to go to sleep. Mom picks up the child and reassures them that there is nothing to be afraid of in the house. Mom will tuck the child in, sit on the side of the bed and rub their back until they fall asleep. At this point it is almost midnight and there is no way she will get all the sleep she needs for the next day. But she lays down in bed, prays for her children to have restful sleep and her husband to have a safe day at work the next morning and then she closes her eyes. This is a life of a mother who during this Quarantine has had to adjust her whole life to 3 or more children being home with her having school that has to be done. It is a tough job for her right now. All she will need is your love and understanding. She wants to feel appreciated and know she is doing a good job. Sometimes just hearing those words will make all her hard work seem worth it. Seeing her children smiling and knowing they are loved also gives her the boost she needs. Be kind to everyone especially moms because right now more than anything, they are struggling.
By Adria Gray5 years ago in Families
A Parent’s Right To Say No
This pandemic has changed our lives so much sometimes we have to scream ourselves to the pillow just to be able to let the steam out. I had to look for another job to get those full hours because my job had us on shortened hours just to cope with the mechanics of this pandemic and trust me I understand. Everything immediately changed including the situation with our children and the fact that they could not be in school for their own good. And all has been so challenging since then.
By Monica Rosales5 years ago in Families
Baby's All Grown Up
Baby’s All Grown Up I remember the first time I found out I was pregnant with you. My firstborn. I prayed for you for twelve years. I prayed for a blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby. I remember you growing in my tummy. Watching you move gracefully, and gently in my tummy. Watching my belly ripple as you turned over.
By Ms Samurai5 years ago in Families
Lessons Learned
Sitting on the top step of the front the porch Madelyn basked in the sun's rays. The warmth seemed to penetrate her flesh warming her very bones. Indian summer settled in comfortably on this late October day. She was perfectly relaxed, luxuriating in the warmth, listening to the birds and enjoying the fact that she was outside instead of cooped up in the house. Richard and Dennis were at school as they always were this time of year. Each morning the bus came before she awakened and carried her brothers to town. Someday she would be on that bus headed for school. She was certain she wouldn’t like it. She didn’t like strangers. There would be a lot of strangers at school. You had to stay all day and couldn’t come home when you wanted. She didn't like to think about leaving Momma all day.
By Pamela Styles5 years ago in Families
We Do Fill More than Just One Role
Mom’s of new-born children are facing many struggles. Not only have they performed the literal miracle of breeding and giving birth to a new human, but they also frequently have to explain themselves to others. Everyone and their uncle have an opinion about how the baby is dressed, whether or not one should be breastfeeding, and many comments about when the mom is going back to her job. As if a young mother becomes some kind of common good after giving birth, everyone feels obliged to share his opinion with her unasked and mostly unwanted.
By Tom Fenske5 years ago in Families
