immediate family

Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.

Strong Thoughts
““I’m a money magnet” that’s what I wrote in my little black book… my Book of Thoughts is what I decided to call it.” Liza glanced up at Ms. Robertson, her 4th grade teacher. “I heard my daddy’s UTube saying this last night... he likes to listen to meditation and laws of attraction… manifestation stuff. I don’t know a lot about it but he always tells me to be positive and think about what I want.... so I wrote it too. Is that right.. is this ok to write in this little black book?”
By Nicole Kondratyk5 years ago in Families
Laura's Legacy
Laura was seated between her older brother and younger sister. They had arranged themselves is birth order, as if they were being directed by the spirit of their Uncle Drew. The lawyer for the estate sat behind his walnut desk looking a bit apprehensive in Laura’s opinion. Her thoughts had been twirling around her brain like a hula hoop since she got the call that Uncle Drew had passed. Uncle Drew was their mother’s twin. The siblings had not been together since the graveside service for their mom. Her brother Donald Drew Douglas had climbed into the back of his hired limousine with his third wife, Judy, returning to New York City. Donald had made a fortune trading commodities. Frankly, in Laura’s not so humble opinion, Donald was the epitome of white male privilege. There had been a horrible argument over the politics of another Donald from New York. Heated arguments about the competence of the Trump presidency ended with her sister Jane throwing her glass of wine in Donnie’s face. Donald returned the assault with bourbon down the back of her dress. Laura was screaming “Oh my god, what would mother say if she were here? Can’t we just act like adults and agree to disagree about politics?” Laura sauntered in the middle of things politically and personally. Jane, on the far left ,far away from Donald, who was up the collective republican right’s ass. Jane was declaring her new sexuality and preferred pronouns, proud to be a pansexual, living with a black transgender woman while exploring sex with him /her and them. Basically, anyone who might catch her fancy was on her list of possible partners. Laura was on a hiatus from single dating sites and starting to wake up from dreams of her biological clock falling off the mantel of her precarious future plans.
By Jan White5 years ago in Families
Italian-a Super-a Bowl-a *hand gesture*
Food is not my strong suit. Sports are not my strong suit. So you'd think the Super Bowl and the celebration around it wouldn't be my strong suit as well. And for the most part you're right. If I'm invited to a big game party, I'm usually awkwardly trying to identify the aspects of football that seem familiar, looking for the plainest chicken wings or the cheese-est pizza, and I have a generally okay time (not at your parties though, Wolfie, you are the best). However, in my times at my parents' place, I am thriving.
By Sam Pinnelas5 years ago in Families
Measuring Tape
I have a measuring tape  A gift from my mother    Packing my childhood room into four boxes  And the suitcase I bought for my year abroad
By Flora5 years ago in Families
My Niece
hi.. I'm still dealing with my bad depression now. But, I want to talk about something that happened recently, which is about my niece. She has decided to come to the U.S. to attend her college now even when the coronavirus pandemic is still creating havoc and less than 10% of the people of each state are vaccinated. I just find that very reckless and dumb of her. She could have waited a few more months before coming when more people are vaccinated here and the vaccines are available to everyone. By coming now, she is risking getting coronavirus and endangering her own health. I've sent her messages about these too but she has never responded back to me. The only and last time she has contacted me was when she asked me if I could lend her the money to pay for her expensive college tuition. I told her no and that I don't agree with her needing to attend such an expensive college. She got admitted to one of the good private colleges with very expensive tuition and insisted to attend it. Despite not getting any help, she still decided to attend it in the end and decided to come to attend it now at a bad time when she doesn't know anything about living in the USA yet at the age of 20 and when coronavirus is still taking the lives of many with about 4000 daily infections! I just think that her decision is so very reckless and her parents seem to not able to do anything about that.
By Sara5 years ago in Families
Duck, Duck, Goose
It was Christmas Day, -10 degrees and my anxiety was so severe, my ears wouldn’t stop ringing. The morning was spent at my aunt’s house with my Dad’s side. Afternoon came and my brother and I got dropped off at my Mom and Stepdad’s.
By Krissie V Moore5 years ago in Families
The Little Black Book Of Blessings
He squinted his eyes in an attempt to figure out what the black object in front of him was. When the frantic looking man went tearing down the sidewalk, crashed into Mark, and kept running, something fell out of his pocket. If Mark’s glasses hadn’t been knocked clear off his face he’d already have been able to identify the object in front of him. As it is, he was fumbling around feeling for them and hoping they weren’t broken.
By Julie Wein5 years ago in Families
Francesca Foote
When I awake in the morning, sometime around 5 a.m., I rub my feet before leaving bed. They hasten even slower than I do these days, so I must soothe them, like newborn puppies, before I slip them into my house shoes. I massage each toe, curled with arthritis. They aren’t what they used to be, but I still keep up with them. My niece and I get pedicures every other Saturday.
By Amanda Woodard5 years ago in Families
What It Was Like Growing Up With Working Parents
My mom was working 40–50 hours a week at a retail store and my dad was working 60 hours at another. They were making good money and grinding, they were doing what they had to do to get through. However, those facts do not make it easier for a child. It does not create a relationship where there seems to be none.
By Kate Rose5 years ago in Families
The Magical Notebook
I was clearing off my last table of the night when I found a little black notebook hiding underneath a napkin. It was a classic Italian leather-bound hardcover notebook. It had an elastic closure, smooth rounded corners, and a matching black bookmark ribbon tucked inside crisp ivory pages, along with a convenient pocket in the back of the book. It was actually quite beautiful and very simply elegant.
By Melanie Rose5 years ago in Families
In Your Blood and Bones
You and your soul are as much a part of this landscape as the mountains, sky, and prairie grass. That's where home is. It's in your blood, in your bones. It'll always be there; even though people and places come and go, it comes with you. Never forget that. - mom
By Lea Shaw5 years ago in Families
Gifted Strings
My phone chimed as I drove. Most often, it says, “Potential Spam,” and I’ve come to not over stress when I hear it ring. Because I own a business, my phone number exists in the world rather readily, and with that comes extra spam calls. Not this time. On the little magnetic clip over the air vent, my phone said, “Aunt Carol.” Man. I love catching up with my Aunt Carol! But, I was nearly to my student’s house and knew I’d need to let it go to voicemail and call her back later.
By Elizabeth Hunter5 years ago in Families