parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
Aging Is Funny
I don't like to think about my parents getting older. Maybe it's because I know if they're getting older, that means I am too. I prefer to picture us years ago, when I had naturally dark hair and I still held high hopes my mom would figure out email.
By Lysa Christopher8 years ago in Families
A Child's Fear
The year was 1977. I was born the daughter of John (an abusive alcoholic) and Diane (a mentally fragile woman). My dad had mentioned he did not want any children, yet—my mom decided to get off the pill anyhow. So, when I came around, my dad was not impressed to say the least. He had already had a son with whom he abandoned and disowned who was already in his late teens by the time I was born. Because my dad did not want me, I suffered through tremendous neglect. Whenever I had cried as an infant I was placed inside closets to cry it out. Soiled, hungry, scared—it didn't matter. My mom was not allowed to pick me up. I was isolated and alone and I was not even a month old yet.
By Jennifer Osorio8 years ago in Families
Life Is a Winding Road
One of the hardest things to go through is change. No matter what it is, leaving the comfort of normal is a scary thing. Even if you’ve gotten a promotion at work, it’s still very scary. Losing a job is scary as hell. Finding the new job is scary as hell. And when you finally find that new job, it’s ridiculously scary. The fear doesn't just come with employment, it comes with life. It comes with meeting someone new that you're interested in, breaking up with someone or even worse, when you lose a family member. Regardless of what change you're going through, what will make or break you is how you deal with the change, how your attitude guides you through.
By Vincent Graziano8 years ago in Families
Being a Parent With Anxiety
Being a parent with anxiety is a struggle. Always worrying, never being able to stop the never-ending train of thought; at times it may seem like too much to bear. Like you're drowning in a sea of self- doubt. You worry whether or not you're doing it right, or questioning whether you're a good parent. It seems like no matter what you do you're constantly asking yourself if you made the right decision. Dealing with anxiety alone is a struggle. But being a parent with an anxiety disorder is a whole different ballgame. As a parent with an anxiety disorder, I can personally relate to all of the above. And if you find yourself in the same boat, you know it's not easy. It's an everyday struggle. And it doesn't get any easier. But there are ways to cope. Whether you are taking medication or not, these are all things we worry about when raising children.
By Gabrielle Fuentes8 years ago in Families
Fatherhood: A Review in Progress
Parenting is a bitch. This sentiment might upset a select few but it is 100 percent true. Taking on that mantle means thrusting yourself into a torturous duality where one version of you mourns the death of another while simultaneously reveling in the most potent ecstasy you’ve ever known. This back and forth coupled with the sleep deprivation that comes standard issue with a new child is a brand of madness so dizzying and overwhelming that it demands a revision of every belief you’ve ever held. For example, I used to think big families looked like fun; now Cheaper by The Dozen sits more like a horror/thriller than a family comedy.
By Alex Perez8 years ago in Families
To My Father
With Mother’s Day having been a few weeks ago and Father’s Day right around the corner, we need to talk about strained familial relationships and why it’s okay not to reach out to your family members just because you’re family. I’ve never put all of this on paper in words, and it was equal parts painful and cleansing. If it helps someone sever unhealthy ties to another person or other people, I’m okay wearing private trauma on a public sleeve. I went back and forth with how I wanted to write this and decided that a letter in which I speak to him would most clearly convey my anger and pain.
By Stripes Joplin8 years ago in Families
3,000 Miles
My father was in the Army and he deployed a lot, 7 years combined to be exact. It was always different when he was gone and we all counted down the days until he came home again. My mom held down the fort and kept us all motivated and positive about his deployments. It was a normal occurrence and we all started to get used to him being away.
By Nicole Boynton8 years ago in Families
Why We Need To Stop Using the Term 'Daddy Issues'
My father is a sociopath; maybe not clinically proven as such but all the traits and qualities of a sociopath, well, my father has had since a young boy. He was emotionally and physically abusive to me and my family for 17 long years until he walked out on us. Then one day he walked back in expecting us to worship him and has had a stalking relationship ever since.
By Ashlyn Harper8 years ago in Families
In My Genes
I always thought that my mother was a superhero. Not that she could fly, or shoot lasers out of her eyes (although, I have been on the receiving end of a few looks at the store that would beg to differ), but because my mother never ran out of room in her heart for anyone, or anything. My mother, Lee-Ann Huffman, is a mother to two children and two fur babies, a wife, an aunt, a best friend, a role model, a hard worker, and the most patient person that I have ever met.
By Cheyenne Huffman8 years ago in Families
