immediate family
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
What My Father Never Said, and What I Heard Anyway
He never gave big speeches. There were no long-winded father-son talks over a campfire, no final words of wisdom before I moved out, no dramatic pronouncements about life, women, or work. He wasn’t the kind of man who offered advice — at least not in the traditional sense.
By Kamran Zeb7 months ago in Families
Sweet Revenge Without The Drama
...SUCCESS is the best revenge! I can't remember a time when I've seen her so happy. I'm happy too - broke, but happy! For years I'd lived next door to 'Cruella-de-Vil'. A bitter and twisted lady in her 60s, who rarely had a good word to say about anyone.
By Pamella Richards7 months ago in Families
The Day Mom Let Go
Growing up, my mother was always there. Not just in the physical sense—making meals, cleaning the house, helping with homework—but emotionally too. She was the kind of mom who knew something was wrong even before I said a word. Her love was constant, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, but always present. She was the safety net I didn’t realize I depended on until I had to step off it.
By Hassan Jan7 months ago in Families
Sleepless in Solitude Part 2
I see and hear some mothers complaining about how their babies are the 'terrible twos', messing up the house, getting into everything, pen marks everywhere, baby gates being climbed over, messy eating time and so on and so forth. Many times I have seen babies at 8 months old, less than 1 year old, etc. talking, crawling everywhere, mums running after them, doing all sorts of things and sometimes I wished my daughter could do the same...
By Esther Oyewole7 months ago in Families
Sleepless in Solitude: Did Any Of It Work?
Did Any Of It Work? Sleeplessness is a strange companion. While the world sleeps, I am awake, with my special daughter, I have 3). I have been a stay at home mum for so long that I can't even begin to contemplate returning to the rat race that is called 'work' — alarms, traffic jams, awkward office small talk — my brain freezes just thinking about it. My reason, you ask, maybe I'll share it in my next story. My husband is the only one working, and, although he has a well paid job, I can't help but feel like I should contribute something.
By Esther Oyewole7 months ago in Families
When Silence Fell Between Us . Content Warning. AI-Generated.
The first thing Leila noticed was that Daniel stopped asking how her day was. It didn’t happen overnight. At first, it was just once or twice—he’d come home late, kiss her on the cheek absently, and head straight to the couch. She told herself he was tired, stressed, distracted. Work had been rough. Life was just busy. But then it became a pattern. A new routine. Quiet replaced curiosity.
By FAWAD KOKO7 months ago in Families
We Celebrated Mom’s Birthday in the ER
Birthdays were always simple in our house. Growing up, my mom never asked for much—she was the kind of person who preferred handwritten cards over big gifts, home-cooked meals over fancy restaurants, and quality time over grand gestures. So when her 67th birthday came around, I planned exactly the kind of day I knew she’d love. Lemon cake (her favorite), some of her closest friends coming by in the evening, and a cozy dinner with her kids around the table.
By Fazal Hadi7 months ago in Families
The Taste of Lost Memories
The key to my grandfather’s crumbling greenhouse wasn’t metal, but wood – warped oak, smoothed by generations of touch. It felt alive in my palm, resisting the turn. With a groan that echoed through the overgrown jungle beyond the fogged glass, the heavy door swung inward. Dust motes, thick as snowfall, danced in the single shaft of weak afternoon sun piercing the grime-coated roof. The air hit me first – not decay, but density. Wet earth, ancient stone, ozone-like after a storm, and beneath it all, a dizzying kaleidoscope of scents: sharp peppermint, burnt sugar, something like old parchment, and the faint, unsettling tang of copper.
By Abdul Hai Habibi7 months ago in Families
A bridge made a hope
I say this without doubt and without regret: life cannot exist without fear, love, trial, betrayal, hope, and faith. At some point, all of these gathered and closed around my small life like strands twisted into one rope. There were days I asked, “Can I bear this?” And yet, God kept sending new circumstances—difficult ones, yes, but each something I was called to face with dignity. Some days my strength drained away; my hands fell uselessly to my sides and I felt hollow and alone, even with my husband, my children, and dear friends nearby. When that happened, I would retreat inward, into a deep private country of sadness. But the desire to live and to be happy never left me.
By Rebecca Kalen7 months ago in Families
