family
Family unites us; but it's also a challenge. All about fighting to stay together, and loving every moment of it.
Dialing For Derelict Homes
In the mid-70’s as a kid I lived about 30 miles southeast of Seattle. In those days the little town I lived in was considered the boondocks or living in the sticks. There is some truth to that since we lived in the foothills of the Cascade Range and deer, cougar, and black bears showing up in your backyard did happen on occasion, not something you would see in downtown Seattle even back then. I could walk to most of my friend’s houses in the neighborhood through thick stands of Douglass Firs, Cedars, and Pine Trees.
By Steve B Howard5 years ago in Humans
Out of Kindness
The camping trip was their idea. It was always their idea. Ever since I can remember my life was their idea. The camping trip was their way to fix my suspension from school for drinking. Not so much drinking as it was guzzling whiskey till I passed out. Some rich looking Alumni couple heard me choking under the bleachers at the homecoming game. Monday I returned to the scene of the crime with parents in tow to receive the judgment. Punishment would come later.
By Steve B Howard5 years ago in Humans
Speak to me
As I walk through the fabric store, holding a single remnant of fabric, I whisper to it, “Speak to me. Tell me what you want to become.” Crazy as this may sound, the fabric never lets me down. I’ve come to realize that, in the beginning, my obsession with fabric was born out of necessity but has since grown into a life-long love affair. But let me start at the beginning.
By Penny Briese5 years ago in Humans
To Mama Lionheart
My dearest Holly, From the moment that I met you, it was obvious that you danced to the beat of your own drum. You were the first friend that I made when I transferred to public school in 3rd grade, nearly two and a half decades ago. I was the new kid that everyone else made fun of, but not you. You were quick to introduce yourself, and from then on, we were inseparable for the next few years. From almost weekly sleepovers and summer camping trips with your parents and brother, to coming up with silly routines and re-enacting the Doublemint gum commercial, we did it all. We were truly sisters in all ways but blood.
By Jenna Thie5 years ago in Humans
The symbol of enduring love: a Rose
Her name was Rose, her favorite flower was the double hibiscus. Our yard had three different colors and variety of hibiscus. That flower is beautiful and so was my mother. She did not work outside of the home. Her remarkable contribution to our home life was what she did inside the house with us, her family. We were taught not to call her, my dad and any other older person by their given name so from here on, I will refer to my mother as Mommy Rose.
By Lydia Seales-Fuller 5 years ago in Humans
Love of those of who can not speak
Within examining more into this quote from Aristotle, I do believe our own passions and happiness come from within ourselves. They are experiences and ideas as we once out together as a child or teen trying to figure out and learn who we are. For some the reason of happiness and passion can come from the mechanics of trains to body modifications. As for myself my ideas of happiness and passion has comes from Special Needs children and adults because I have grown up with a cousin who has special needs but was born with a heart of gold. Growing up with my cousin I just thought he was a normal kid like myself until one of my family members explained to me that he was born with Fetal alcohol syndrome and because his health issues he may not make it passed the age of twelve. Let me tell you even though my cousin went through so many surgeries nothing had stopped his superhuman strength in appearing in the Special Olympics. Growing up and getting to know my cousin has been a true blessing because he has inspired me to be a better person for those who need my help. Ever since then I have been able to get many certifications and help speak up for those who need a voice and a shoulder to lean on. I was working at a place called SYC in New Mexico and for the past several years that I have worked here it has taught me so much. SYC is a safe and secure place for adult with special needs to enjoy activities such as swimming, making arts and crafts, reaching their everyday goals, teaching them how to cook, and feel comfortable within their own skin. Even though some of my clients could not speak I found complete joy in them because they all came with their own sense of life and had very bright personalities. Learning to love and care for someone other than myself has taught me a lot about what my intended purpose is in life. I guess you can say that I have a maternal instinct that comes naturally to me and helping to watch those grow is an amazing feeling. Do not get me wrong it can be a little challenging just by the small yet simple things. Some activities have to be retaught day in a day out like for example basic hygiene or helping them with simple tasks around the house. I find that learning to care of someone can be challenging yet fulfilling because even though you may have a set schedule your client, family, or doctors can change things at any time. Expect the unexpected when being a part of this job. I feel like I got the natural part of taking of people because I had learned to take care of my grandfather when I was a teenager just to make sure he had the right diet because had diabetes. When you learn to be selfless and love those who ten to need it the world becomes a better place for the both of you. Special needs people don’t need some who hurts them but rather a person who they can trust and confide in. We as caretakers need to help them understand why we are there for them and how we can make the world a better place because they are put here in our lives to teach us lessons on how they feel what a devoted friend and caretaker should be. Our clients are the ones who have the greatest intuition on who is a good person and who is not just by their very own experiences. In the end my clients have taught me so much on how to be a better caretaker for them and I would not change it for the world.
By Charity Valdez5 years ago in Humans
The Way We Shine
“The moon taught me you do not have to be whole in order to shine.” That’s a quote I read once, some random bit of significance floating around the World Wide Web with no author, and I am here to tell you that it isn’t true. At least, it isn’t true for me. The moon never taught me that - my mother did.
By Cecilia Barnhill5 years ago in Humans
How I got to an IQ over 137
We must understand what it is like to be a child of today. The world is fast-moving and knowledgeable like never before. Learning is so much more advanced than it was a hundred years ago. Even though children still think the way they do like they did since the beginning. Children grow and mature by play. Play is the ultimate learning experience. If the child is around children their age then they learned the norms and rituals of their age. They envisioned themselves as co-peer in society. They tried each time harder and harder to fit in and show their capabilities. And parents should encourage this to make well-rounded children. Children each year have to figure out their age and the requirements for their age. School helps this, this is why they need to have friends and explore the world. They need to know what are children doing their age. Everything is like a dream and being young seems forever. Children need to know that they will age and that they will become adults. Teachers must show them the way to knowledge and how to be as smart as they can be. Children like me, don't understand IQ numbers, I did not know my IQ of 120 in Middle School meant that I was a gifted child, however, my teachers knew and peers knew. It took me years to understand how really smart I was. And meet with the stigmas, stereotypes such as racism on tests, my belief in character, decency, intelligence and respect helped me overcome those bigotries with an SAT Score of 1370. Supportive teachers' cohort and supportive counselors' cohort can verify what a student knows about themselves. With me, I was smart and growing smarter, and maturing in my studies. This comes from years of self-denial and self-ignorance like most children think. They think because they are small and little now that they will never conquer the world. Children must be given heroes and heroines, it does not have to be someone perfect but someone who defied the odds. Even if they are fictional, children dream of fiction, and fiction helps them imagined the impossible. Children must be taught how to believe in themselves and build up their character. They must be taught loyalty to learning and dignity in gaining knowledge. They must be taught what is patriotism and how to be dedicated. Children can keep promises and children can become men of their word and women of their word. It is not enough to make children smart, they must know how to apply their knowledge and show independence. This is why college is important. It is not just about the job and social class climb, it's about the growth. Children learned how to live without their parents and understand the way the world sees them. They begin to take the obstacle of life and see if they can endure its trials and tests. Parents can see if they raise their children properly and can advise them to be greater. Parents must take the general counsel and their children become the sole decider in their life. It takes great faith but if you plant seeds of hope, it cannot fail. The course of knowledge continues beyond college as college is the testing ground. Teachers are role models, I looked at every teacher's background to understand what they can teach me outside the curriculum because teachers are more than instructors, they are an investment into who a student becomes. Teachers are role models and philosophers, they are the sole decider of the atmosphere of the classroom. Children must be taught how to brainstorm innately and constantly be thinking about their predicament. Their state of learning and then they will develop into productive members of society.
By Distinguished Honorary Alumni Dr. Matthew Primous5 years ago in Humans
