extended family

All about how to stay connected, strengthen ties and talk politics with your big, happy extended family.

Learning How to Show Up for My Aging Parents. AI-Generated.
Opening I didn’t realize how much my relationship with my parents was changing until one day I noticed I was worrying about them the way they used to worry about me. The people who once felt strong, decisive, and endlessly capable were slowing down, forgetting things, and needing help in ways they never had before.
By Clara Lin12 days ago in Families
What He Never Asked For
Story When people talked about sacrifice, they usually spoke about major moments—heroic actions, tragic goodbyes, or lives changed overnight.
By abualyaanart16 days ago in Families
The Chair That Stayed Empty
story There was always one chair in the house that no one sat in. It was near the window, at a small slant, and it caught the afternoon light. The cushion had sunk in the middle since it had been used for so long. Ammi would straighten it every night, even though no one sat there anymore.
By abualyaanart16 days ago in Families
One Secret From My Mother in Law Changed Everything Between Us
I never imagined that a simple visit to my mother-in-law’s house would alter the course of my marriage. Her house was quaint, tucked away at the edge of town, the kind of place that seemed frozen in time. It smelled faintly of lavender and old books, the air heavy with memories. I had always loved visiting her, though our relationship had been cordial rather than warm. She was a woman of few words but with a sharp mind and an aura of quiet authority.
By Omid khan16 days ago in Families
I Want To Be A Slut When I Grow Up
What are we doing? Is anyone paying attention or are they too busy being self absorbed? We are raising a generation of ignorant, useless, lazy, slut bags.
By Alexandra Grant19 days ago in Families
When We Lost Our Grandchildren
I'll never forget the day Emma stopped answering our calls. My wife Florence and I had just returned from our usual Tuesday morning coffee when I noticed three missed calls from our son, James. "Dad, I need to talk to you," his voicemail said. His voice sounded hollow, defeated. "Emma and I are done. She's asked me to move out."
By Jess Knauf21 days ago in Families
Family Ties
Family Ties How Everyday Moments and Unseen Bonds Shape Who We Are Family ties are the quiet threads that hold our lives together long before we realize how much we rely on them. They form in ordinary moments—shared meals, inside jokes, and disagreements that end in forgiveness. Yet, they carry extraordinary strength. When life feels uncertain, those ties often become the anchor that steadies us.
By Mahmoud Ahmed 21 days ago in Families
My Mother in law's last words unlocked a secret that changed my marriage forever!
The night my mother-in-law died, she whispered something that cracked my marriage wide open. Not in a dramatic, movie-scene way.
By John Smith22 days ago in Families
Genetic Confession
I didn’t come for forgiveness. I came for a kidney. The air inside the confessional smelled of old cedar, floor wax, and the faint, lingering scent of frankincense. It was a heavy, suffocating smell—the kind that makes you realize how hard it is to breathe when your own body is slowly betraying you.
By Jhon smith22 days ago in Families
The Kind-Hearted Friend
In a lush forest, there lived a troop of monkeys. Among this troop were two young monkeys who were notorious for their mischievous behavior. Their constant pranks and antics had even exhausted their parents, who often scolded them for their wildness. In the same forest, there was a young giraffe, a gentle and innocent creature, known for his simplicity and good nature. One day, while grazing on the green grass, the young giraffe wandered into a part of the forest where the mischievous monkey duo was busy plucking leaves and fruits from the trees to eat.
By Sudais Zakwan24 days ago in Families
Growing Up Without a Dad
Growing up without a dad leaves a space you notice even before you can name it. It is not always about what is missing materially. It is about guidance, reassurance, and the quiet sense that someone is always there to support you. Children notice absence even when adults try to soften it or explain it away. They notice empty chairs at birthdays, missed celebrations, and unanswered questions about who they are and where they belong.
By Eunice Kamau24 days ago in Families
Malka Shaw, LCSW: Orthodox Jewish Community, Belonging, and Resilience
Malka Shaw is an Orthodox Jewish social worker (LCSW) and educator who focuses on trauma, antisemitism, and Jewish community resilience. She founded Kesher Shalom Projects, offering workshops and support groups that build leadership, communication, unity, and Jewish pride. Raised loosely Conservative and drawn in adolescence to Reform youth programming, she describes her move toward Orthodoxy as a gradual, decades-long process deepened through immersive volunteering in Israel and sustained study. In clinical and communal settings, Shaw applies social-work principles—especially the principle of meeting people where they are—to help individuals and leaders turn isolation into connection and purposeful belonging. She trains allies in cultural competency.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen27 days ago in Families