Family
Single Parent of Teens
Edit below the ~~~~~~ Let's face it: life is just strange right now. I mean, it has been - for everyone - for about a year. It's been weird longer for us because of the death of my second husband in 2016 (I'm divorced from my first), but that's a whole different story. Suffice it to say that I'm a single parent, in a rural/suburban (exurban?) pocket of lower income in a high-income school district. I work for the school district in question, which - were it not The Year(s) That Shall Not be Named - would still be pretty awesome. But I'm low on the seniority list as I've only worked there for a couple of years before... all this.
By Jenn Kirkland4 years ago in Confessions
Responding to the "Worries" People Had When They Found Out I Don't Celebrate Christmas
Growing up, I've heard every form of shock from my classmates when they found out I wouldn't take part in the school Christmas party, or pretty much any other holiday for that matter.
By Shyne Kamahalan4 years ago in Confessions
Taking Away a Kid’s Freedom
Parentification is a term that has gained more and more traction over the years, but what is it? According to The Awareness Centre, it is a lack of boundaries within families, where the children take on responsibilities that are usually reserved for adults. This definition was first referred to in 1973 by Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark, so it’s not even a new term all along!
By Sharing Randomly4 years ago in Confessions
Still Here
I’m lying six feet under, my body rotting around me, caged by the earth and coffin, but soon I’ll be free. I can move my fingers and toes a little bit, the very atoms in the air passing through me. I couldn’t do that yesterday in the cold freezer at the morgue.
By Paige Castor 4 years ago in Confessions
Can we change the mould we are given?
Prologue: Growing up I remember slamming doors, screaming and emphasizing CONSTANTLY on how I did not want to grow up to be like my mother. I know what you are thinking ' Huh ironic that we all do'. The fire inside me and will to be nothing like my mother kept my confidence on what I believed (at the time) to be certain.
By Georgia Michaelidou4 years ago in Confessions
My Mother Has Taught Me To Live In Fear, But I Am Not Scared Anymore. Top Story - December 2021.
My mother has taught me many things. One of them was to live in fear. For years agoraphobia has lingered somewhere in the background of my life, trying to keep me down as part of my general anxiety disorder. The cause of agoraphobia remains unclear but it is believed that a major role plays in environmental factors.
By Oberon Von Phillipsdorf4 years ago in Confessions
Watching Seinfeld for the first time . Top Story - December 2021.
Sometimes, more often than not, living in this hectic, Pandemic driven world, where everyone is coming and going without interacting—where the fear and the pain and sadness is pervading every aspect of society, I just need a break.
By Melissa Ingoldsby4 years ago in Confessions
Westside School
During the spring of 2008, I got acquainted with the oldest son of the mother of my future daughters. This young man's name is Haryu Wooten. I met his mother at a poetry set on the Westside of Chicago. Me & Haryu’s mother soon started living together and she became pregnant with my first child. This would be her third. Haryu’s little brother was only 1 year old and was so full of joy & wonder when we met. Haryu on the other hand showed extreme focus & comprehension for a 2-year-old! The day I first met the pair of young lads, they were with their father & their mother introduced us all. The youngest boy crawled to me, hugged my leg, & smiled. While Haryu sat, arms folded looking visually upset. It was like he knew the whole situation and did not like it! Which intrigued me in a way I never had before. I love science fiction, chess, football, & other matters of strategy. Yet at 23 years of age, I still did not know I was a teacher. I thought I was solely an artist. Boy, was I wrong!
By Richard Lee Scruggs III4 years ago in Confessions
Chronicles of a Poly-amorous Lesbian
It's always one thing to know something in your mind...without a confirmation from an outside source. It's easier...it's easier because in those moments when those thoughts plague you...even though you know it to be true...you can placate yourself...tell yourself that you're just imaging things...overthinking things...that everything is really fine.
By Catherine MacKenzie4 years ago in Confessions
Autism: My 20 Years of Learning and Love
This is part two of a larger story. You can find Part One here. THE ADULT YEARS As Lesleigh moved into adulthood, we, her dad and I, had to transition with her. Once she turned 18, all of the supports for disabled children ended and she needed to transition to the adult support and related programs offered. The other thing that became necessary was getting her set up for the provincial support program that provided a small guaranteed income for people with severe disabilities. The application process was fairly straightforward for these supports and after a quick review and an interview she was approved for supports at the maximum allowable amount. A bank account was opened for her, with her dad acting as her support for managing the funds properly. We also needed to establish formal guardianship for day-to-day decision making, and trusteeship to cover any and all financial decisions. This process was far more involved that applying for the income support but with the documentation from her psychologist verifying that she had a cognitive disability and my connections with the right people in government, we filed the papers successfully. The entire process took approximately six months to conclude but when the dust had settled James and I were joint guardians and trustees for Lesleigh. As she was also now legally an adult, the persons with developmental disabilities programs connected us with an agency whose focus was offering meaningful activities and programing for cognitively disabled adults.
By Julie Buchy4 years ago in Confessions
The Heartbreaking Truth I Learned About Marriage
I grew up as an only child, so finding ways to entertain myself is not new to me. I enjoy my own company and love pursuing creative endeavors like baking, painting, writing, reading, jewelry-making, and other crafty projects. But I've laughed the hardest with other people. Spending time with the right people around me feels more exhilarating than the quiet pleasure that comes with being on my own.
By Kyra Bussanich4 years ago in Confessions
