humanity

Humanity begins at home.

Bringing Back The Newspaper Wrapping
One of my favorite Christmas memories from my childhood would be the gifts we would receive from my father. You knew which ones were his because they were always oddly shaped and wrapped in the Sunday comics. These gifts wouldn’t be the trendy things we asked for in the 90s like a bookshelf stereo or a Starter jacket, (hello, I am a hundred years old) but they would contain cool things like bongo drums from a second hand shop in Iowa City, or the bootleg 4 CD set of a Pearl Jam concert one of Dad’s sound buddies recorded off the board.
By Jennifer Gulbrandsen5 years ago in Families
5 Ways My Boyfriend Has Surprised Me
There are definitely more than five ways that my boyfriend (John) has surprised me, one of the more recent moments being the day he proposed to me (read about that one here). However, I wanted to used this article to highlight some of the ways in which he has surprised me with small moments of kindness.
By Joe Harris5 years ago in Families
Guardian Angel
One day, when I was a young schoolgirl, it was about the time that I hit puberty. I saw myself outside my body and I explored a while seeing some very strange things until I somehow knew I had to get back to my body, so I did. I didn’t think much of it at the time as I had no idea what had happened.
By Brianna Mota5 years ago in Families
The boat, treasures, and the beach
The red and white boat that dad shouldn’t have bought, according to mom, had a purpose: adventures at a semi-desert beach at the São Paulo Northern coastline. I believe that, at the time, Juquehy was a division of the city of São Sebastião.
By Marilia Coutinho5 years ago in Families
Christmas is Canceled
It’s less than 2 weeks until Christmas and for many of us, we will be spending it alone. When my husband and I moved across Canada almost 30 months ago, it was to be expected that we would be spending it alone as we literally have no family here and our closest friends are about a 6 hour drive away. I know our parents miss us and want to see us, but they understand… though the first Christmas we were away, someone told my mom that the military flies families for free on one of their military flights. It’s a little shitty as it makes many stops across the country to drop off and pick up people so makes for a very long day – I believe one of my coworkers did it last year and went from Ottawa to Victoria and it was a 22 hour flight. The other issue is that there are set days it flies, so our holidays needed to work around that. The first Christmas we didn’t even consider making the trek as we had only been away from home for 6 months. The second (last) Christmas, my husband was going to be starting basic training (as he just joined the military) and we wanted a relaxing Christmas at home – plus we weren’t certain if the travel days would interfere with when he needed to be at the garrison. And then this Christmas… well, originally he was supposed to be at his trades training, so again, the timings wouldn’t have worked with the school schedule… but then covid canceled that either way - including his training.
By Kaylee Norton5 years ago in Families
A New Holiday Season Challenges Americans to Celebrate Safely
For many people, the first couple weeks of December have been filled with little reminders that this holiday season is so different from others. Our calendars, usually jam-packed with holiday parties, are now disappointingly empty. Day-long trips to the mall to buy gifts for family have been exchanged for online browsing. And on a darker note, many of us have lost family and friends to COVID-19 with whom we would spend the early December weeks excitedly chatting about holiday reunions.
By Pam Jannes5 years ago in Families
Turning A Nightmare Into A Positive Message
Desensitized. That’s a big word. Here’s a story. It was as difficult to write as it is to read. Norman is a small in stature, slightly rotund, bespectacled middle-aged man. He sits in his compact car, waiting at the curb of a grocery store for his wife to arrive from checkout. It’s a hot summer evening and the sun begins its late descent. The store empties slowly, and the exiting shoppers search for their cars. Trunk lids slam shut. Engines roar to life and fade into the distance of commuter traffic.
By Stu E5 years ago in Families
Family Insanity
I know part one was probably pretty dull for everyone, but not every beginning is exciting or starts off with a bang. Sometimes it takes a bit for it to grow and slowly take its form. Well as we continued growing up, we noticed the small things. Every time we went to my aunt's house (her house was 7 houses down the street from ours) we always saw my grandmother giving gifts to our cousins. It hurt but we never complained to her. We just watched in silence. Sounds small, right? But it continues on. We slowly notice the favoritism over the years towards my cousins and how me and my brother were often ignored by them. It was even more difficult since they usually were in charge of watching us while our mother was busy with work. It got worse, especially for me because one day I get the call from my father that he is having another daughter. I didn't think much of it then until he called less and less. It was hard for me, since daughters depend on their father to always be there for them and are what we see as an example for future relationships with men. What made it worse was how my family reacted. Here is where the mental abuse begins. My aunt and grandmother told me how my father didn't want me and how my mother trapped him with being pregnant with me. They said that I was a mistake and that he wished I wasn't born. Hearing that hurt and felt true when he wasn't calling or answering. Every time I struggled in life, whether it was having trouble with school or having trouble at home with my mom, their words continued to ring in my head.
By CC Carr5 years ago in Families
CHRISTmas
'Tis the season for baking cookies, singing songs, hot cocoa with peppermint sticks, trimming a tree or 2 exchanging gifts, and merriment. To some, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!" To others it is a great anxiety, stress, depression, financial strain, and good 'ole family fights. Those who are low income, those with a mental health issues diagnosed and not diagnosed fight incredible battles daily during the holiday season. They are some of the most appreciative.
By Katie Schwenk5 years ago in Families
Intro to Me
When you’re little all you wanna read about is perfect relationships and happily ever afters. When you’re an adult, perfect doesn’t sell. We wanna hear about turmoil, affairs, and broken homes because that is real life. When other people (fictional or not) have problems, it makes us feel not so alone. My story has it all. I’ve been the jaded mistress. Today, I’m a successful marriage and family therapist.
By Arabella Jones5 years ago in Families
Homeless
I am Samantha and I am 38-years old. I am from a small town in Giles, County, Virginia. I am in a woman’s center due to my abusive husband. I have been married four times since I was 20-years old. Let me tell you how I got to this point. I was born on July 20th. When I was three months old, I had bad seizers, so my parents took me to the emergency room. They told them I had Meningitis, and I needed to be moved to a bigger hospital immediately. I spend years doing physical and occupational therapy. I finally started walking around the age of three.
By Samantha Farley5 years ago in Families
On Unconditional Love
Today, I had a break down over $66.10. It wasn't exactly because of the money, but it was. I am without a job, living with my fiancée's parents. My psychiatrist has been dragging her feet on sending my prescription through medicaid, and I'd been fighting with the office for over a week to get it filled before I just bit the bullet tonight. I knew I would have to pay something since my last psychiatrist was not through medicaid. I just didn't think it would be $66.10.
By Zale Cook5 years ago in Families