parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
Mother
The photo I pick is of my mother. We are at Ihop for breakfast and while waiting for our food, she had gazed outside the window for several minutes and was daydreaming about something or maybe someone. At that moment, I had to discreetly take a picture of her in that moment of wonder, like a time capsule of her. I love this picture because it was a natural juncture of my mother in deep thought, which I rarely get to see because I live across the country and when I do see her and spend time with her, she is mostly moving around doing something or cooking most of the time and spending time with her grandchildren. At that instant, she was taking the time to herself and to think about something was it life; her past, present or future or even her loved ones. In the photo, is she happy, sad or just content with life? When looking at my mother, at the instance it reminds me of how valuable our loved ones are to us and every minute we have with them is a blessing to have with them since we don't know when our last day will be with them. So every day I say or text, ”I love you” to her. To my husband and kids, I give them a kiss and say ”I love you”, at night before going to bed I give them hugs, kisses and say ”I love you.”
By Kim Spicer6 years ago in Families
You’re No Psychic, Pop
Onions sizzle and provolone cheese bubbles atop red strips of beef and gray tiny slabs of chicken. Like a surgeon performing work on a patient, a young lady flips over the contents of the grill with precision and ease. The scent of a cheesesteak and a chicken cheesesteak waft through the store. It is replete with a panoply of colorful chips, cookies, potato salad, macaroni salad, and potato salad. This is Casapulla’s in Newark, make that Glasgow, Delaware.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in Families
Life as we know it
For many years I have struggled with the concept of "Live within your means" as so many of us struggle financially for whatever reason that is mostly out of our control. Some might say that we put ourselves in our current position however what people don't always think about when you moan about your financial situation is that, yes we did choose this path in life but the overall result will be remembering the days when things were so tough that you weren't sure where your children's next meal was coming from and the soul destroying decisions you had to make, but from the comfort of your nice home that is now a safe haven for you and your family because you made that sacrifice at that stage in your life in order to better it. I often think that one day I will be in that safe haven, but right now I am in my "life bubble", struggling to make ends meet on one income (much thanks to my supportive hard working hubby) which is not that big for supporting a family of five, whilst I put myself through more education at nearly age 40 to better my career prospects and chance of a bigger salary that comes with it, making that safe haven a realistic goal and not an impossible dream. We are currently looking at remortgaging to consilodate all the debts that have racked up whilst being a student and full time Mum, but trying to live the life that I wanted for my family, including the memory making holidays that are so important to my family's mental health. These holiday's of course are important, but little did I realise the long-term impact on our mental health which made the short-term benefits fly out of significance! The arguments caused by poor, financial, spur of the moment decisions, the necessity of saying NO to your children's demands that once were met with a Yes!!! all contribute to a very unhappy household who were already on the brink of collapse when my younger sister died of bowel cancer just before the start (and was partly the reason why) of my life plan upheavals. For most of my working life I have given my soul to the NHS as a bottom grade staff nurse and felt little desire to go up the ranks as family of two turned into family of five over the last 12 years and brought much joy to our lives. Losing my sister at the young age of 33 put a lot of things in my little life bubble into perspective and I made the grand decision to quit nursing and follow my mother's career choice by training to become a maths teacher! Don't ask! But here I am three and a half years later, one assignment away from finishing my degree and in the worst place mentally that I think I have been ever! Making big decisions, big financial choices, making that safe haven seem like an impossible dream again. But remembering what one of the last things my sister said to me before she died, which was, "Don't be sad for me! Live your life happily no matter what is thrown to test you, as long as you are surrounded by those who love you and make you feel safe then you will achieve happiness" (Nicky Vanstone, 2016) and so here I am, getting me "Happy" and only then can I make that impossible dream an achievable reality again, one day....
By Beckie Dayman6 years ago in Families
Fathers - Be Good to Your Daughters
We individualize the things we experience so that we can relate to them - it’s human nature. When a great movie ends, I feel like a small piece of me is altered for a little while. When someone wants to show me something they've drawn, or painted, I feel like they’re sharing a part of themselves with me. When the right song plays, it can make or break my mood before the first chorus even starts.
By Harley Myers6 years ago in Families
Parents are Made, Not Born.
Parents are Made, Not Born Every person was brought into the world because two humans came together and with a combined effort they were made. Anyone with working parts and the ability to assemble a simple jigsaw puzzle can begin the process of making a baby. Making a human is easy; the hard part is becoming the parent that they will need and deserve to have. This task is not for the faint of heart some walk away and give up or never show up to see through this joint endeavor. Many nights are spent sleepless, sacrifices made daily, efforts go unnoticed, tears are cried out of joy, fear, and pain. So why do people take on this task if it is so difficult and taxing? People continue this ritual out of a basic physiological drive and pure ignorance of the path that is ahead. Children may be created in mere moments but parents are developed over a lifetime through experience and with a self-sacrificing spirit.
By Amber Gant6 years ago in Families
For My #girldad
In the wake of the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others this past week, many people have been sharing what Kobe meant to them. I would not necessarily consider myself a big basketball fan, but how could I not be a Kobe fan? His reach extended far beyond the court. I knew I wanted to write something to express how I feel and how I have been processing these losses, and I have been agonizing over what that might be for days. Nothing I, or most other people could write could do justice to Kobe’s legacy or the impact his daughter was already beginning to make on the sports world. Although I've put a lot of time and effort into drafting multiple other write-ups, everything I thought of just did not seem good enough.
By Kristyna Reedon6 years ago in Families
A Rose for Your Pocket
How can one celebrate Mother's Day? Perhaps it starts with a sudden notification from the phone's Calendar. One awakes one early morning, rushing to work, and in between the commute, seeing that May 12th is Mother's Day. The promotions come in. The planning phase starts with what gifts to buy, where to have a fantastic dinner with one's mother, or perhaps a short vacation to a tropical island.
By Thanh Dinh6 years ago in Families
The Invisible Load of Motherhood Is Killing Me Slowly
Winter is coming, and I’m nervous, S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is real, and to top it off I have been slowly succumbing to the very real invisible load of motherhood. I have effectively been battling this giant for almost twelve years and it has finally caught up with me, now I feel like it’s killing me.
By Candise Miller6 years ago in Families
I Remember (HIM)
Ahh... The good days, carefree & without worry. The year was 2000. I was 5 years old. I can recall waking up on a Saturday morning to the aroma of PineSol & hear the gospel music playing. I knew what this meant; cleaning day. My mother would blast the music to wake up Pam & I. Pam is my older sister. We're 12 years apart. As I flipped the covers from over my head, I was dreading the thought of having to scrub walls & dust in places that should be forgotten about. All I wanted to do on this beautiful Saturday morning was scurry to the living room to catch my morning cartoons. This consisted of Barney, Dragon Tales, & Caillou (in that order). I would fix myself a bowl of Cornflakes & curl up on the couch for a day of relaxation. I normally could get out of doing household chores that involved fumes & dust because I had asthma. Pam hated the fact that I could get out of doing chores because that meant she had to do everything by herself. As I got comfortable on the couch, it didn't take long for my childish bliss to be disrupted by Pam & mom arguing. They were always arguing about something. Pam was 17 at the time. It seemed as if everything turned into a heated verbal exchange. "Why doesn't Brandon have to clean up, it's his mess anyway?" she said. My mom wasn't keen on answering questions that she felt she didn't have to answer to. "Because I told you to do it, that's why." Mom responded. I learned to tune out their arguing, it was just something that I had gotten used to. As they continued to exchange words, I could hear the front door unlocking. With excitement, I jumped off the couch & ran & opened the door before the knob could finish turning. "Daddy!" I screamed. My face lit up with joy. My father stood there with a huge grin on his face, picked me up and embraced me. My mom & dad weren't married, but they were inseparable towards each other. Their love for each other couldn't be bound by a piece of paper. It was just present. My sister & I have different dads, but my dad raised her as his own when my parents met. She was 12 years old at the time. My dad was everything to me. He was my hero. I looked up to him because he was always joking, laughing, & he always knew exactly what to say. What can I say? Life was good, I had my mom, dad, & sister all under one household. Everything was perfect. Little did I know that reality would soon set in, & life as I knew would it would take a traumatic turn for the worst.
By Brandon White6 years ago in Families
